The Son of Lemuria
by GoldenTalesGeek
Summary: Chapter 12 is finally up! Piers and the gang explore the Shrine of the Sea God. It is rumored that a piece of the legendary Trident of Ankohl is hidden there. Will they be able to find it? Plus, I've added some stuff to some of my previous chapters. R&R!
1. Prologue

Disclainer: I do _not _own Golden Sun. That's Nintendo and Camelot.

The Son of Lemuria

Prologue

Hello, dear reader, and welcome to the world of Weyard. Some time ago, the seal on the great power of Alchemy had been broken. I know, not because I have heard stories of the brave warriors who broke the seal passed down through the ages, but because I _am_ one of those brave warriors who helped to break the seal. My name is Piers. I am a very skilled Water Adept, but I am also a very talented warrior. I never used to be such things. When I was a young lad growing up in my native Lemuria, an island in the heart of the Eastern Sea, I never anticipated what trials and tribulations I would experience on this difficult quest.

We Lemurians have long memories, so I can remember this quest as if were just yesterday. I had joined this quest on behalf of the great King Hydros, who still rules over Lemuria to this day. I won't go into too much detail now, for you will learn why as you read. Now, I shall recount my adventures to others in an effort to inspire people, (Lemurians or otherwise) that no matter how impossible the odds, you can still pull through. Let me tell you this: there will be thrills in my tale, but there will also be some laughs along the way. There's even some tragedy and a little romance sprinkled in, as well. Now sit back, relax, and prepare to hear my story.

I'm sorry if the prologue is short, but I'm a little new at this so no flames please. Oh, yeah! R&R!


	2. Chapter 1: Christening

Chapter 1: Christening

My very first memory was of my christening ceremony. You see, whenever a new child is born in Lemuria, he or she is taken to King Hydros for christening, while everyone in Lemuria watches. My parents took me up to King Hydros, dressed in their finest Lemurian robes. He performed the usual ceremony for all Lemurian children. But, in my case, the end of the ceremony was very different from any child that had come before me. "What have you decided to name this child?" the king asked my mother.

"His name shall be..." My mother said, gazing into my amber-colored eyes and then back at the king. "Piers."

"Very well!" King Hydros' voice boomed.

He reached down and took me from my mother's arms and placed me in his. That is when the king sensed it; more power was emanating from me than he had ever known possible from _any_ Lemurian child. King Hydros tried unsuccessfully to shake off the feeling of shock. "Your highness, is there something wrong with Piers?" Mother asked, with mounting concern.

"N-nothing at all, madam." the king stammered. "Nothing at all."

"If there is nothing wrong, your highness," Father asked, "Then why do you tremble?"

"I am trembling with joy!" King Hydros exclaimed.

"Why?" both my parents asked at the same time, dumbfounded.

Everyone else in Lemuria was wondering the same thing. "Because I believe your son is the chosen one," the king said.

"The _what?_" My parents exclaimed.

"Allow me to explain," King Hydros said delicately, "There was a prophecy made in Lemuria a long time ago."

"A prophecy?" Mother asked, still utterly confused.

"Yes." the king replied. "May I continue?"

My parents nodded. King Hydros cleared his throat and continued. "The prophecy stated, 'The chosen master of Water shall be born a native son of Lemuria.' He bears the mark."

"The mark?" my parents asked.

"Look at his wrist." King Hydros said, holding up my left arm. "That mark could only be on the true chosen one."

"I merely thought it was a regular birthmark." Father said.

"As did I." Mother agreed, sniffling. "But I never knew it that important!"

"Take it easy, dear." Father said, comforting her. "You will get sick again."

"I am sorry." King Hydros said, "I did not intend for you to be upset."

"I am sorry as well." Mother said, "I overreacted. I am very pleased to hear that about Piers."

"Now, let us finish the ceremony." the king said.

He then held me high over his head and his voice boomed out to the crowd, "I NOW PRESENT TO YOU, FELLOW LEMURIANS... PIERS!"

The crowd then started chanting my name, starting softly than gradually getting louder. Louder than for any other Lemurian child before me. During the chanting, King Hydros whispered to my parents, "Do _not_ tell Piers what I have told you until you feel he is ready. Merely tell him to keep the mark covered at all times. Do you understand?"

My parents nodded. "Good." the king said, and he left to go his throne room.

And, that was my christening ceremony. My childhood, on the other hand, was a little rough.


	3. Chapter 2: Childhood, a Death, and a Sec...

Chapter 2: Childhood, a Death, and a Secret Revealed

My childhood was not one of the best that a young lad could hope for, but for me, it was fine. I never understood why I had to keep a red cloth wrapped around my wrist, but I decided it was best not to ask. My mother was ill a great portion of the time. Every time she was ill, I was afraid I was going to lose her. My father, on the other hand, I barely remember him after the christening ceremony because he left Lemuria when I was 7 to fight in the wars going on in the outside world. One of the last things he said to me before departing was, "Piers, my boy, promise me you will train your Psynergy and your body to be as good or better warrior than me while I'm gone."

"I promise, Father." I said, hating to see him go.

"Goodbye, son." he said, ruffling my cerulean-colored hair. "I hope to see you strong and talented when I return." And then, he was gone.

My uncle moved in with us to help care for Mother while Father was away. My uncle is a great man, the only father figure I ever had after Father left. Many years passed. My father sent many letters to us, telling of his adventures. My uncle and I grew very close. Mother was in good health more often. I had made good on my promise by practicing my Psynergy and swordplay everyday. Everything was going well until, I had noticed that Father had abruptly stopped sending letters. "Don't worry too much about it, Piers." my uncle had told me. "He is probably in the middle of a great battle and can't write home."

"You are probably right, Uncle." I told him.

Many days passed. My Water Psynergy improved greatly, faster than I ever anticipated. My swordplay needed some polishing, but I knew I would get better. _Better, for Father._ I thought. Then one day, a messenger came to our house. I opened the door and there he was. "Are you Piers?" he asked me.

"Yes, sir." I said politely.

"Are your mother and uncle home as well?" he asked.

I was about to answer when my mother suddenly appeared at the doorway and said, "Yes, I am Piers' mother."

"I am sorry, but I have some bad news." the messenger truly looked it. "But..." his voice trailed off.

"What has happened?" Mother demanded.

"Easy, Mother, don't get too upset." I whispered.

"Your husband, he has been killed in battle, milady." the messenger said as delicately as he could.

There was no denying that look of shock on Mother's face. "I am so very sorry." the messenger said. "Good day."

I shut the door. "I feel faint." Mother said.

_Oh, no, not now!_ I thought. Then, quite suddenly, my mother fainted. Luckily, I managed to catch her. "Uncle!" I shouted. "Mother has fainted! Help me!"

"Hang on, Piers, I am coming!" my uncle said, rushing into the den.

My uncle grabbed her feet, and I continued to hold her shoulders. We carefully carried her to the bedroom.

"Fetch the doctor, Piers." my uncle said. "Hurry!"

I did not need to be told twice. I rushed out of the house as fast as I could and to the doctor's office. "Doctor, Doctor!" I shouted.

"Piers?" the doctor asked, surprised. "What ever is wrong?"

"My... m-mother has... f-fainted." I said, out of breath. "M-my uncle told m-me to come f-f-fetch you."

"Oh, good Sol..." the doctor said, obviously worried. "Come on, let's go."

The doctor grabbed his bag and we were out like a shot. "Do you know what caused her to faint?" he asked me along the way.

"A messenger came and told both of us that Father was killed in battle." I replied, trying to choke back tears.

"Ah..." the doctor said, but nothing more.

When we arrived, my uncle was standing there. "Hurry, Doctor!" he said urging us inside.

The doctor examined her and while both my uncle and I waited with bated breath. "How is she, Doctor?" I asked after awhile.

"Except for the fact that she's very ill, I think she's just fine." the doctor said.

"_Why_ does she always get sick whenever she gets upset?" I asked.

"Your mother was born with a weak heart, Piers." the doctor explained. "You see, bad news to a person like you or me makes us emotionally ill. Do you understand?"

"I think so." I said, thinking this through. "So, that means, bad news to a person like Mother would make them physically ill as well as emotionally ill?"

"Something like that, Piers, yes!" the doctor said, surprised. "This is one of those times you really surprise me."

"Surprised me, too, Doctor." my uncle agreed.

"Good day, gentlemen." the doctor said, leaving.

"What kind of bad news did your mother receive that caused her to faint, Piers?" my uncle asked after he had.

So I proceeded to tell him about the messenger and his bad news about Father. When I had finished, my uncle was close to tears. "My little brother..." he said sadly.

"It's all right, Uncle." I said, patting him on the hand. "We still have each other."

"Yes, you are quite right, Piers." my uncle said. "I can't afford to go to pieces."

We embraced each other. "I think it's time we got some rest." my uncle said.

"Okay." I said. "Good night, Uncle."

"Good night, Piers." my uncle said, the sadness still there.

Both of us headed to our rooms. That night, I could hardly sleep. "Father, why did you have to leave...?" I said crying out over and over.

The next day, Mother was feeling a little better, but not fully recovered. "Piers..." she said at breakfast. "I have something I wish to tell you. Something I should have told you while your father was still with us."

"Do you wish to tell him in private?" my uncle asked.

"Yes, that would be preferable." Mother said.

My uncle left the room. "Piers... how well do you know Lemurian history?" she asked.

_This is weird._ I thought. _She wants to tell me something, yet she asks me how well I know my history._ As if she had reading my thoughts, my mother said, "It's not that weird, Piers."

"Not that well." I replied honestly. "Except for this one thing about a prophecy..."

"...Which states, 'The chosen master of Water shall be born a native son of Lemuria'." my mother finished.

"How did you know...?" I asked, very surprised.

"Because at your christening ceremony, King Hydros told your father and I your are the one to fulfill that prophecy." Mother said seriously.

"Me? But, I..." I managed to get out. This was a lot for me to be taking in. "That's impossible, Mother!"

"How else do you explain why your Water Psynergy is a lot stronger than your swordplay, hmm?" Mother said.

She had a point. It was true; my Psynergy _was_ stronger, but still to think _I_ was the one to fulfill that prophecy, it still felt impossible. Not to mention burdensome, too. "If you don't believe me, why don't you go ask King Hydros yourself?" she added questioningly.

"Fine." I said, slightly angry. "I will!"

So I set off to King Hydros' Palace. My uncle came in afterwards and asked Mother, "What was _that_ all about?"

"Just telling Piers the truth." Mother said simply.

My uncle shook his head, and sat down to eat breakfast.


	4. Chapter 3: A Royal Education

Chapter 3: A Royal Education and A Birthday

I reached King Hydros' Palace in practically no time at all. One of the guards stopped me and asked, "Are you Piers?"

"Why, yes I am." I said, a little surprised.

"Come. King Hydros has been waiting for you." the other guard said.

He took me by the arm and escorted me inside. I had heard stories of how remarkable King Hydros' Palace looked from the inside, but thought it looked more grandiose than I could have ever imagined. The next thing I know, I am in King Hydros' throne room. "I have brought Piers, milord." the guard announced.

"Well done. You may return to your post." the king said.

He had a very kind, gentle, almost grandfatherly voice. After the guard left, King Hydros came walking up to me. "Piers!" he said, embracing me like I was the son he never had. "How are you, my boy?"

"I am a little distraught and confused, your highness." I said.

"Why is that, Piers?" he asked.

"Well, I am distraught because a messenger came to our house yesterday and told us my father had been killed in battle." I replied, fighting to hold back tears in the king's presence.

"I am so sorry to hear that, Piers." King Hydros said, embracing me again. "I truly am."

"Thank you, your highness." I said.

"And, what has you so confused?" the king asked, changing the subject.

"Because my mother told me something I am having a very difficult time trying to comprehend." I said.

"What is that?"

"She told me something you told to her during my christening ceremony." I replied, a little worried.

"Let me guess: That you were the one to fulfill the following prophesy, 'The great master of Water shall be born a son of Lemuria.'" the king said calmly. "Am I mistaken?"

"How did you...?" I asked, amazed that the king was so calm in the face of such an outrageous claim.

"Piers, I _did_ tell her that," he said.

"You did?" I asked. "But, why?"

"Because the moment your mother put you in my arms, I saw the mark of the chosen one on your wrist." the king explained.

"Your highness, I am not sure if I have the mark you speak of." I confessed.

"Why do you think your parents wanted you to wear that cloth on your wrist, Piers?" King Hydros inquired.

"They always said it would bring me good luck." I said.

King Hydros smiled. "Remove the cloth, Piers." he said.

"But my mom said never to take it off unless it was important." I said.

"Trust me, Piers." the king said. "It _is_ important."

I removed the cloth and gazed at an odd-looking mark. "Wow..." I said, running my fingers over it. "It looks remarkable."

King Hydros patted me on the shoulder. Then, one of the king's servants came in. "Lunch is served, your highness." he said, bowing.

"Lunch?" I said. "Already?"

"Would you care to join me, Piers?" King Hydros offered.

I was famished. I had not eaten breakfast because I headed to the palace before I had a chance to eat anything. "Certainly, your highness." I said, as my stomach growled.

King Hydros smiled and turned to the servant. "Set two places," he ordered. "One for me and one for my guest."

The servant bowed, and left the room. _Wow, I'm the king's guest!_ I thought excitedly. Then I immediately calmed down, because I did not wish to be deemed rude. "Follow me, Piers." King Hydros said.

The king led me down what seemed to be a very long hallway. Eventually, we arrived at a very beautiful dining room. "Come on in, Piers." King Hydros said, watching gape in amazement at the room.

I entered, but I continued to look around in astonishment. "You can sit down now, Piers." King Hydros said.  
"Oh, um, sorry." I said, a little embarrassed.

"It's all right," the king said. "I used to people gaping at the architecture."

I nodded and sat down at the table. The king's servants brought out lots of food, some of which I had never seen before. I felt very strange in the king's dining room because I was just a villager, and yet King Hydros was treating me as if I had noble blood of running in my veins. But, I eventually got over it, as I was busy putting food in my mouth. "A little hungry, Piers, my boy?" King Hydros asked.

"Starving." I said in between mouthfuls of smoked salmon, my favorite food in all of Weyard.

Surprisingly, some of the meal past in silence. King Hydros ate some food, and then pushed his plate away, clearly full. The servant came and took his plate away. While I was still eating, King Hydros looked at me and said, "Piers, there are a few things I feel I should teach you."

"What things, your highness?" I asked, now shoveling in some mashed potatoes.

"That there are kinds of Psynergy other than your own." the king replied.

"Other kinds...?" I said, a little shocked.

"Oh, yes." the king said. "Do you know of the four elements?"

"No, but I am eager to learn about them, your highness." I said, now eating some really rich and delicious red velvet cake.

"There are four elements that were the building blocks for everything on Weyard: earth, fire, wind, and of course, your element, water." King Hydros explained.

"So there is Psynergy aligned with each of these four elements?" I asked.

"Yes." the king said. "The four elements once formed a great power that was once commonplace all over Weyard."

"What power was this, your highness?" I asked, after finishing the last bite of cake.

"The power of Alchemy." King Hydros. "It wrought the base elements I told you about earlier into thriving civilizations, like lead into gold. Peace and prosperity reigned supreme. But, in time, the power had to be sealed away."

"Why is that?" I asked, pushing my plate away, showing that I was full.

After the servant came and took my plate away, the king continued. "There were those were corrupted by the power of Alchemy. Many who sought to use it to attain infinite riches, immortal life, or even dominion of all of Weyard."

_Good Sol..._ I thought. This too was quite a lot for me to be taking in. "When did this all happen, your highness?" I asked.

"Ages ago, long before your birth," the king said. "I was a young lad like yourself at the time."

"Wow..." I said, not thinking of anything else to say because I was so surprised.

"Well, Piers I believe you should head home." King Hydros said. "I don't want your mother worrying herself sick about you."

"Literally." I said, with a wry smile. "Good day, your highness."

Then I proceeded down the hallway, headed down to palace entrance and I was heading out the door when I bumped into someone. "Oh, excuse me." I said.

"Watch where you're going, boy!" the man said in a _very_ gruff manner.

There was no mistaking that tone of voice. It was Lord Conservato, head of Lemuria's senate.

"I am truly sorry, milord." I said as politely as I could, considering my family never liked the old blighter.

"You should be!" he said, once again in his gruff manner. "Delaying my usual meeting King Hydros! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Before he could say anything else or ask what I was doing in the palace in the first place, I bolted out the door. I didn't stop until I reached my house. I stopped to catch my breath, and then I slowly opened the door. **"_SURPRISE!_"** my mother and uncle shouted, popping out of their hiding places.

"Uh," I said, once again a little shocked for what seemed to be the millionth time that day. "What's the occasion?"

"Really, Piers." Mother said with an affectionate scold. "It's your birthday. Whether you wish to remember it or not."

I smiled at that. But, _I could not_ _believe I had forgotten my own birthday!_

"Happy birthday, my favorite nephew." my uncle said, embracing me.

"Uncle, I am your _only_ nephew." I said indignantly.

"That is why you are my favorite," my uncle said, patting me on the shoulder. "No competition."

I rolled my eyes at my uncle displaying his wry sense of humor once again. "I got you a nice present, Piers." Mother said, taking me over to the kitchen table. "Close your eyes."

I covered my eyes and she guided me to a nearby table. "Okay, open them!" she said.

I uncovered them to find a gleaming sword sitting on the table. "Whoa!" I said in astonishment. "Wherever did you get it?"

"Do you remember that Lucky Medal I found buried in the garden a couple years ago?" Mother asked.

"Yes, I do." I said, nodding.

"Well, I decided to use it in the Lemurian Spring today, and I won that sword." Mother said. "I hope it's a good present."

"It's a great present, Mother!" I said excitedly. "Thank you very much!"

Then, the three of us sat down to eat some of my birthday cake. I was surprised that I managed to fit in two pieces considering how much I ate at the palace. Afterwards, I let out a big yawn.

"You've had a big day." Mother said, with a smile. "Get some sleep, Piers."

"Good night, Mother." I said, hugging her.

As my headed to my room, my uncle stopped me. "What? No 'good night' for me?" he asked with mock concern.

I laughed. "Sorry, Uncle." I said, hugging him. "Good night."

"Sleep well, Piers." my uncle said, ruffling my hair the way my father used to.

As I climbed into bed with my new sword sitting on one of my shelves, I felt this was the best birthday I have ever had since Father left.


	5. Chapter 4: Outsiders Arrive in Lemuria

Sorry 'bout the _huge_ delay, Piers fans. The Marching Band season during high school kept me from updating. Now I'm back, and I have a few things to say before you read the latest intallment of Piers' story. First and foremost, I had a very happy birthday, and I would like to thank Chammurian Lailan for being the only one to wish Piers and myself a happy birthday. Secondly, I'm not telling how old Piers is. I promised. Lastly, I'm now accepting anonymous reviews. Enjoy!

Chapter 4: Outsiders Arrive in Lemuria

Many years passed since I met with King Hydros and that memorable birthday. I continued to train my body and Psynergy to flush out some of the grief I was feeling over the loss of my father. But, I knew deep down Father had gone to a better place, somewhere more peaceful. At the time, there was a huge storm going on in the outside world and also in Lemuria. The storm had threatened to flood all of Weyard. One day, during the storm, I was sitting at the window just daydreaming when a high-pitched yet oddly familar voice brought me back to earth. "Is everything all right, Piers?"

I looked down to the floor of my room to see my Djinn sitting there. "Oh, I'm all right." I said to Spring, the Djinni who had spoken.

Little did we Lemurians know that this storm would change the course of our history forever! Eventually, the so-called "great flood" came to Lemuria, and washed up on our shores two men. I was the one who found them. It happened one day, when the rain had finally let up, I was out for my usual walk along the Lemurian Coast, when I saw the two men lying on the beach. I rushed over, for fear they would be dead. I checked their pulse. They were alive, but barely. I quickly rushed to King Hydros' Palace. "I have to see the king, it's urgent!" I said to the guards.

"You may pass, Piers." The guards said.

"Thank you!" I said, rushing to the throne room.

I soon reached the throne room. "Piers, my boy, what's wrong?" King Hydros asked.

I proceeded to tell the king about the men I found on the Lemurian Coast. "Take me there." he said, after I had finished my story.

So, I led the king and few of his soldiers to the shore where I had discovered the two men. They were still unconscious when we got there. King Hydros ordered the soldiers to carry the men back to the palace, where they would receive medical attention. As the soldiers carried the men to the palace, I got a good look at them. One of them dressed as if he were some great sage. He wore an unusally colored robe and had long purple hair, along with a small goatee of the same color. The other was dressed as if he were some great warrior. He had a sword and sheath on his belt. He had long black hair with few streaks of gray in it and a pencil thin mustache of the same color. Why they would be traveling together -or so I assumed- I couldn't comprehend.

We soon arrived at the palace. The soldiers took the men to one of the king's many guest bedrooms. I turned to folllow them, but King Hydros held me back, saying, "Hold on, Piers. I would like a word."

"Of course, your highness." I said.

"Piers, you have a very kind heart." the king said. "Not many Lemurians in your situation would have informed me about those two men."

"Thank you, your highness." I said.

"Also, I want you to come back tomorrow and check on them and find out who they are." King Hydros advised.

"Certainly, your highness." I said.

"Thank you, Piers." The king said. "That is all."

I decided to head back home, as it was best that the men I found got the medical attention they deserved. As I was going home, word of the two men had spread like wildfire throughout Lemuria. How word could have traveled so fast in such a short time is beyond me. A lot of people were surrounding me, bombarding me with questions. Questions like, "Who are those men you found?" or "Are they Adepts, like us?"

To every question that was prompted to me, I always answered the same thing: "I don't know."

They continued their questioning until I reached my house. I mumbled to Mother something going to sleep, and went into my bedroom. I do not even remember falling asleep. The next thing I know, my uncle is knocking on my door and saying, "Piers, it is time to get up."

I open my eyes and I see my carpet. My uncle's voice sounds again. "Piers? Are you all right?" he asked.

"I am fine!" I say, flipping over onto my back. "I am getting up!"

Then I hear a sigh of relief. "Well, hurry up, Piers." my uncle said. "Breakfast is on the table."

"Okay." I said.

I got up, changed my clothes, and headed to the kitchen. "Good morning, Mother. Good morning, Uncle." I said.

"Good morning, Piers." my mother and uncle said in unison.

"I am sorry that I went to sleep so early, but I was just really tired." I explained.

"That's okay, Piers." my uncle said. "I could see it in your eyes."

I nodded and sat down to proceed to wolf down my breakfast. "Slow down, Piers, dear." Mother admonished.

"Yeah, where is the fire, buddy?" my uncle asked.

"King Hydros wants me to find out who those two men are." I explained as best I could, considering I was shoveling many eggs in my mouth at once.

"Okay." my mother and uncle said.

I finished up my breakfast and rushed out the door and off to King Hydros' Palace. I soon arrived in the guest bedroom to find the men looking a lot healthier than when I had found them. I learned they were Babi and Lunpa, each from the continent of Angara. Lunpa was quite famous, based off of the fact he called himself "Lunpa, the Righteous Thief". But, how a thief could be righteous, I probably would never understand. He was also a talented swordsman, and he gave me quite a few pointers on my swordplay. Since then, I had no trouble trusting him. Babi, on the other hand, took more time for me to trust him. He was facinated with everything he saw in Lemuria, especially the Lemurian Springs. He loved it so much, he said was going a fountain just like it when he got back to his homeland.

But, Babi was most notably facinated with our Psynergy powers. He was so intrigued he wanted to learn how to be an Adept. Babi picked me to teach him Psynergy because I had saved his life. I asked King Hydros if he could permit it. King Hydros saw no harm in it, so I proceeded with Babi's Psynergy lessons. He was surprisingly a fast learner. After 5 weeks, he was satified and stopped learning Psynergy. Then, he learned that we Lemurians live much longer live than any normal person, Adept or otherwise.

That caused trouble. Next thing anyone can remember is Babi, full of ambition and greed, stole King Hydros' precious Cloak Ball and every last vial of our precious Lemurian Draught, a special potion that causes us Lemurians to age more slowly. After that he stole one of our ships and fled Lemuria for good, leaving his companion Lunpa behind. Ever since then, we Lemurians rarely trusted people from the outside world, regardless of how kind they were. Not that many people in the outside world could know about Lemuria, let alone can find or even _reach_ it anymore. The townspeople blamed me for Babi's motives, but then they realized I could not of known about them either so eventually the stopped. But several years later, more rumors would be circulating throughout Lemuria, rumors about something completely different...

So, how'd ya like that? Now, I've a got a question for all you "Golden Sun" fans of the female gender: If there was a live-action "GS: TLA" movie, could you picture Orlando Bloom as Piers? Let me know in a review! Until then, I'm working on Chapter 5.


	6. Chapter 5: Strange Occurances and A Jour...

Chapter 5: Strange Occurrences and A Journey Begins

Several decades past since Babi's miraculous escape from Lemuria. Lunpa was shocked that his friend and colleague had abandoned him. Nevertheless, he continued to give me swordplay lessons. After a while, I had noticed something odd about Lunpa. It wasn't the fact that he was a _very_ talented warrior bereft of Psynergy, even though in Lemuria that _can_ be kind of odd. It was not even the fact he was the only person from the outside world who lived in Lemuria. It was the fact that ever since his arrival, Lunpa had not even aged a day. I consulted King Hydros about this, and he, in his great wisdom, supposed the Psynergetic powers that allow time to pass by more slowly in Lemuria may have also slowed Lunpa's aging. When I told this Lunpa this, he said, "I wondered why it seemed like I have only been here a few months and it's been a bit longer than that!"

A few weeks later, a huge volcanic eruption occurred. So huge, it had scattered some kind of strange stones were scattered all over Weyard. Several more weeks after that, a bright blue light shined from the far north. A few minutes later, a small earthquake rumbled throughout Weyard. Not long afterward, the king summoned me to the palace. As I approached the throne room, I heard two voices: one was King Hydros, the other was surprisingly Lord Conservato. "It would seem Mercury Lighthouse has been rekindled, Hydros." I heard him telling the king.

"Yes, it would seem so, Conservato." King Hydros agreed, which was often very rare.

"What do you suppose it means?" Conservato asked the king.

"It means... someone wishes to unleash Alchemy upon the world again." the king said with an unusual mix of triumph and graveness in his voice.

"You seem awfully pleased about that." Conservato said, somehow detecting that subtle note of triumph.

"And, why shouldn't I?" King Hydros demanded. "It also means Weyard won't be in a state of decline anymore!"

"No, Hydros..." Conservato said, his voice shaking with anger. "It means all of Weyard will be destroyed by people abusing Alchemy again! Surely, you were alive when it happened last time?"

"My memory is as good as it has ever been, Conservato," the king said delicately. "But now I believe, your memory as well as the rest of Weyard is declining!"

"Enough!" Conservato roared. "But, I tell you this, the senate will _not_ allow you to send that boy to the outside world on whatever kind of mission you have been preparing him for!"

"What I have been preparing Piers for, Conservato..." King Hydros roared back. "_IS HIS DESTINY!_"

"Destiny, my foot!" Conservato said disbelievingly. "You know, I never did believe that old prophecy, nor the fact that Piers would be the one to fulfill it! It's absurd!"

I was furious at how Conservato was being so delusional. _Now, you have gone too far, you old bastard! _I thought.

Without thinking, I drew my sword and burst into the throne room. I put my sword near Conservato's throat. "Take it back." I said to him, remarkably calm, considering how close I was to ending his life right then and there.

Dead silence followed. King Hydros was shocked; both by my entrance and by the fact I was willing to kill Conservato. "Take it back!" I said, this time a little more forcefully.

"I'll take it back only if you lower your sword." Conservato said, acting as if he was in no mortal danger.

I could see it in his eyes that he was afraid, but I sheathed my sword all the same. "I take it back, young man..." Conservato mumbled.

I accepted it. My anger was fading, anyway. I turned to King Hydros. He still looked shocked. "I apologize for losing my temper and bursting in like this, your highness, but..." I said, trying to make amends but my voice trailed off.

"I understand, Piers," the king said. "But, had you taken Lord Conservato's life, you would have been in _very_ deep trouble."

"Yes," Conservato said. "You're lucky that I am not going to charge you with 'Attempted Murder'!"

He turned toward King Hydros. "I take my leave, Hydros." He said brusquely. And, with a swish of his cloak, he left the throne room.

After he left, I turned back to the king. "I have a few questions, your highness." I said.

"Fire away, Piers." King Hydros said.

"First of all, why does Lord Conservato call you 'Hydros' instead of 'your highness'?" I asked, wanting to get that out the way first.

"Lord Conservato and I were old friends, Piers," the king said. "But, unfortunately, we have since parted because of our views on Alchemy and most particularly the state Weyard is in right now."

"Secondly, What is 'Mercury Lighthouse'? I had heard Lord Conservato mention it, but I am a little confused."

"Piers, do you remember that talk we had several decades ago about Alchemy and the four elements?" the king asked me.

"Yes, sir." I said.

"Well, there a few minute details I left out, but will tell you now." he said. "You see, after Alchemy was sealed away, four elemental lighthouses were constructed, each one in a different part of Weyard, and also each one with more complexity than the one before. The one that is now lit was the first one built: Mercury, the Lighthouse of Water. Following that one was Venus, the Lighthouse of Earth. Then Jupiter, the Lighthouse of Wind was constructed. And lastly, Mars, the Lighthouse of Fire. It is said, after all the lighthouses were built, four stones fell from the sky, and each of them the same color as the lighthouse the fell near. Because they fell from the sky, they were christened the Elemental Stars. Then they were taken, and sealed in sacred sanctum atop Mt. Aleph."

"Mt. Aleph? What's that?" I interrupted. "Sorry..."

"It is all right, Piers." King Hydros said, seemingly grateful for the interruption. "Mt. Aleph is a legendary mountain peak said to have stood since all of Weyard was formed. Ever since, we have in a world bereft of Alchemy. However, it is said, if the Elemental Stars were used to lit the lighthouses, Alchemy would be unleashed upon the world once more."

"It this why you summoned me?" I asked.

"Exactly, Piers." King Hydros said. "I want you to go to the outside world and not only try to find the Adepts that are trying to break the seal and join them if you can, but also I want you to explore much of the Eastern Sea and see if Weyard is surely declining, like you heard me telling Lord Conservato earlier."

"Do you really think Adepts are trying to break the seal?" I asked.

"They must be," the king said. "As far as I know, no one else could have gotten into the sanctum without a little Psynergy. But there is something else I wish for you to find."

"Something to find?" I asked. "What?"

"It's a special weapon, called the 'Trident of Ankohl'." King Hydros said. "It should make your journey easier. But, locating it could prove difficult."

"Why is that?' I asked.

"I have heard that the trident was broken into three pieces and they were scattered across the Eastern Sea." King Hydros explained. "However, even if you _do_ find all three pieces, you will have to find someone to restore it to it's original form. Do you understand?"

"I understand." I said. "Where are the pieces?"

"I know that one of them is hidden in the Shrine of the Sea God, on the continent of Indra." King Hydros said. "However, you will need a jewel called the Sea God's Tear to obtain it. As for the location of the other pieces, I do not know. But, I do know this: It is said that once you obtain one piece, it will guide you to where another piece rests."

"I see." I said. "When will I be departing?"

"You will know soon enough, Piers," the king said. "For now, I suggest you go on home. Mention what I have told you to no one. Understood?"

I nodded and left the throne room. I did not make good on the promise I had made to King Hydros. I had no choice. I told my uncle. Well, not all the details. Just the fact the king wanted to send me on a mission across the Eastern Sea. He felt very proud of me, but also he was worried. "Piers," he said to me after I had finished my story. "I want you to know, no matter what happens while you're out there, I will watch over your mother."

"Thank you, Uncle." I said. "I would appreciate that."

Several weeks later, King Hydros sent me a message. It said:

Piers,

Prepare yourself. It is almost time to begin your journey.

I cannot say much now. Conservato is very determined

to prevent your departure, by any means necessary.

I shall come for you in two more days at the most.

King Hydros

Sure enough, two days later, King Hydros came for me. My mother was saddened, but soon calmed herself down, considering the last health scare she had. Soon, we were escorted to the Lemurian Docks, where I had been so many years ago, to see my father off. _If only I had stopped him._ I found myself thinking as we approached the docks. King Hydros picked out the fastest, sturdiest, and all around best Lemurian ship in the entire fleet. He handed me this black orb as I boarded the ship. "What's this?" I asked.

"It's, shall we say, the fuel that makes the ship go." King Hydros replied.

We went down into the bowels of the ship and set the black orb on a special pedestal. King Hydros quickly got off the ship. "Godspeed to you, Piers!" he called out me, waving goodbye.

I quickly sailed through the Lemurian Docks and into the Sea of Time, the source of all the perpetual mist surrounding Lemuria. Not long after I arrived, huge waves crashed against my ship. I tried fighting the waves, but they just too powerful. Suddenly, my worst fear materialized. A massive whirlpool had formed and rising from it was... Poseidon!

I tried to fight him, but with no success. He just cast this enormous tidal wave and it carried me far, far away from Lemuria. All I remember was a terrible pain in the back of my head. Before blacking out, I saw a bright yellowish-greenish colored light shining from the north.


	7. Chapter 6: Behind Bars

Chapter 6: Behind Bars

I awoke, feeling groggy and pummeled. My head was pounding with horrible pain, as though my brain had been given it's own personal, enthusiastic beating. My vision was a little hazy, but slowly, everything slid back into focus. I sat up and found myself in a bed. As if by instinct, I clutched my hand to my belt. My sword was gone. I also felt inside my pocket. The Black Orb that King Hydros gave me was gone. Then, I heard a voice say, "Ah, you're awake!"

I quickly looked around, noticing I was in a room where one of the walls was nothing but bars, kind of like a cage. Then I noticed a young man and a much older man standing side by side in front what seemed to be the door. "We were worried you weren't going to come around, young man." The old man said to me.

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You are in the village of Madra, sir," the younger man said.

"And where is that?" I asked, as I was not too familar with the geography of the outside world.

"It is on the continent of Indra, young man," the old man said.

"Please," I said, slightly irked by being called "young man". "Call me Piers."

"I'm sorry," the younger man said. "How rude of us not to introduce ourselves sooner. I am the mayor of Madra."

"And I am Madra's town elder." The old man said.

"Nice to meet you." I said, shaking their hands. "If I may ask, what building is this?"

"I'm sorry," the mayor said again, his eyes narrowing. "But, you are in the town jail."

"Jail!" I shouted. "What am I doing in a jail?"

"Relax," The elder said, patting me on the shoulder. "And we shall tell you."

"You see, Piers, our town was recently raided by pirates," the mayor said. "They came from Champa, a city on a continent to the very far north."

"That's about where I saw a bright yellowish-greenish light!" I exclaimed.

"Ah, so you saw it too?" the elder said, astonishment in his eyes.

"It was the last thing I remember seeing before losing consciousness." I said sincerely.

"It was breathtaking," the mayor said. "But, anyway, the people of Madra were afraid it might happen again, so when they found your ship washed on the shore and your unconscious body laying there with it, well..."

"They thought I was a Champa, and locked me in here, right?" I asked angrily.

"Yes." the elder said grimly. "They also took your sword and a black jewel that was in your pocket."

_So _that's _what happened to them!_ I thought. "You aren't from Champa are you, Piers?" the mayor said suspiciously.

"No!" I said quickly. "I come from... the heart of the Eastern Sea."

"So, you are not one of Briggs' men?" the mayor said.

"No, I am not." I said, before realizing whom they were referring to. "Hang on. Who is Briggs?"

"He was the leader of the pirates who attacked this town," the mayor explained. "We managed to capture him and a few of his men when he pillaged our town."

"How did they escape?" I asked.

"Not long after they were captured and put into this very cell, strange foreigners came to raid the town, and in the din of all the chaos, Briggs and his men escaped." the elder said.

"Where did they go?" I asked.

"They escaped to the continent of Osenia, which our continent had slammed into after the tidal wave," the mayor said.

"We thought should check on you before we, and a group of fellow Madrans travel there ourselves to pursue him." the elder explained.

"Why would you risk your lives to capture him again?" I asked.

"A majority of the townspeople won't listen to us if we tell them you're innocent, Piers." the mayor explained. "They'll only accept it if Briggs says he isn't your leader."

"So, you need Briggs for evidence..." I said.

"Yes." the elder said. "Well we must be off, Piers."

"Good luck!" I said. "Hurry back, and most importantly, be of sound health, elder."

"Thank you, Piers," the elder said. "And, don't worry, I will."

And, they were gone. I had never felt so lonely since my father left Lemuria all those years ago. I got up off my bed and started pacing back and forth. _I have become my father._ I thought bitterly. Then, another voice emerged in my head, saying, _Come on, Piers, don't think like that. Your father loved you, and not only that, he left because he had to, just like you did now, but you're still alive and there's always the hope you'll be freed._

"Yeah, hope." I said aloud, as if to myself. "But, my father never got locked in a cell under false pretenses, did he?"

Suddenly, yet another voice said, "Piers?"

I whirled around. There was a young woman standing in the doorway. She was holding a tray with food. "Are you Piers?"

"Er... yes." I said, slightly shocked.

"The mayor and elder told me about you." the woman explained. "I've brought you some food."

Then, she proceeded to unlock the cell and set the tray down on the ground, turned around, and left, locking the cell back up behind her. "Thank you!" I called after her.

She must not have heard me, because she continued on her way. Either that, or she just decided to ignore me. Either way, I looked down at the food. I saw it was just some kind of weird stew, and some bread. I wolfed it down hungrily. The stew tasted a little funny, and the bread was a little stale, but, hey, it was best I could eat in such conditions. Several days past, with the young woman bringing me meals all the while. _I hope the mayor and elder are all right._ I thought on the fourth day. Then, on that same day, I had more visitors, a couple of guys probably wanting to make me suffer. "So... " One of the men said, with dripping contempt. "You must be Piers."

"Yes, I am." I said, as politely as I could under the circumstances. I even forced a smile.

"Don't you smirk at me, Champa!" the man said angrily.

"I am _not_ a Champa." I said, keeping as of much of a calm tone in my voice as I could.

"Sure you are." the man said sarcastically.

"I am speaking with the utmost sincerity." I said, trying to keep things good-natured, which, believe me, was _not_ an easy task.

"Come on, admit it!" the man said, egging me on. "You're one of the Champa, aren't you, Piers?"

"As I have told you before, I am _not_ a Champa!" I said, growing slightly angrier.

"Then, where did you come from?" the man said with a sneer.

I turned my back on the man. I did not wish him to see my growing fury. It would have probably only encouraged him. "The heart of the Eastern Sea..." I said, as calm as I could. "If I told you where exactly, you probably would not believe me anyway."

At these words, the man grew -if it were even possible- even angrier. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" the man snapped. "Are you trying to mock me!"

I turned back around, my fury growing. "I implore you... do not anger me." I said with deadly calm.

Not noticing the anger in my eyes, the man smiled. "Oh do you?" he said mockingly. "And just what are you gonna do?"

The man's friend, who had not said anything through this entire scene, finally spoke up. "Hey, Shin..." he said, his voice quavering a little. "Maybe you should go a little easy on him..."

The man who I now knew as Shin turned to his friend. "Hey! It wasn't _your_ girlfriend who got hurt, was it?" he asked indignantly.

"No..." Shin's friend said quietly.

"Then, shut your pie hole!" Shin said angrily.

"I am so sorry she was injured, Shin, but, I-" I said, trying to make things friendly again, but he cut me off.

"I don't need your sympathy, freak!" he spat. "I want you to get angry for me!"

"Please..." I begged. "Even my patience has limits..."

Ignoring me, Shin turned to his friend. "Don't you wanna see what he'll do?" he demanded.

"I think we should just stop..." Shin's friend said.

"I'm sorry it has come to this..." I said calmly, despite the fact I was angry, so angry that it made the incident with Conservato look like I was calm at the time. "But, if my words cannot cool your temper, then... **_FROST!_**"

"Frost...?" Shin said, his anger replaced with confusion. "What the...?"

I had aimed my Frost Psynergy at the very puddle that Shin was standing on. It rose up and froze into an ice pillar. Shin cried out in shock and terror as the pillar rose up beneath him.

Soon after, he lost his balance and fell down onto the hard ground. Shin then got up, took one look at the ice pillar, then at me. I simply shrugged my shoulders. Then, he was out the door like a shot, screaming like a little girl all the while. His friend looked after him for a moment, and then he turned to me. "Did you do that?" he asked, a little surprised.

"What did your friend expect?" I asked, the anger still in my voice

At this reply, Shin's friend slowly backed away from me, his face transfixed with horror. "Y-you monster!" he stammered.

"I... I am no monster." I said, calmly walking towards him.

"Keep away from me!" he screamed. "Help! _Help!_"

And, soon he too was out the door like a shot; running past a group of four people I had not even noticed had entered the prison. One of them was a young man, about 18 years of age or older. He was equipped with a fine-looking sword. He had long, dark brown colored hair, fixed up into a ponytail. Next to him stood a lovely young woman. She looked like she was 17. She carried a staff in one of her hands. She had long, flowing auburn hair. I also took note of a certain fire in her eyes you don't normally see in such beauty.

Next to her stood a very young girl, approximately 14 years of age. Her hair was short, blond, and done in in some kind of soup bowl fashion. She too carried a staff. Next to her stood an old man. He was dressed as if he were some sage. For some reason, I was reminded of Babi. I merely pretended they were not there and resumed my pacing. "That man..." I heard the old man whisper to the others. "He must be an Adept!"

"Yeah." the brown-haired man whispered back.

"It was clearly Psynergy we saw being used," the auburn-haired girl whispered.

"Perhaps I should find out more about him," the blond-haired girl whispered.

"Go ahead." the old man said.

The young girl walked up to me. I just kept pacing. After a few minutes of silence I turned to her and said angrily, "What do you want? Are you here to make fun of me, too?"

"I merely wanted to see what's troubling you," she said calmly and politely.

"I think you already did." I said grimly.

"Are you sure it's not more than that?" she asked.

"No!" I said, more firmly than I would have liked. "Now, would you please leave me in peace?"

She walked off to join the others. _Why did I have to use my Psynergy in anger?_ I thought. _My actions should not have to cause regret. Dammit!_ It was then that I felt the sensation of Psynergy on my body. I looked around for the source, and my eyes landed on the young blond-haired girl. _Could be the one who's...? _I asked my self. Then I shook my head in denial._ No. This girl is not a Lemurian._ I sighed deeply and went back to wondering when the elder would be back to free me.

The four travelers left, and once again, I was lonely. Not long afterward, the mayor's wife came to check on me. I told her everything that had happened up to when Shin's friend departed. She told me she would deal with Shin and left. Several more days past, and something strange happened. I felt the sensation that there was very powerful Water Psynergy nearby. I looked around, but within the confines of my cell, I could not find it. But then, it abruptly vanished, and I once again found myself feeling empty and alone.

Some time later, many of the Madrans who were traveling with the mayor and elder had come back to town, bringing word of my innocence. Believe me, I had never felt happier. As soon as they let me out, however, disaster stuck. Foreigners came and raided the town. Everything was a blur except for me getting my sword back and fighting them off as best I could, but with no success. They had taken my black jewel that I needed to helm my ship. I went to chase after them, but the Madrans held me back saying, "Are you mad? Those were the Kibombo!" and "You can't possibly think of going to Gondowan alone!"

All the same, I merely ignored them. I set out, reequipped with my sword, to confront the Kibombo and get my orb back. I was determined get it back no matter the cost. Even if that cost was my life…


	8. Chapter 7: The Journey to Kibombo

Chapter 7: Journeying to Kibombo and New Friends

I followed the party that attacked Madra as they crossed the land bridge to a brand new continent. At least, brand new to anyone who's never been in the world outside of Lemuria before. I eventually learned that this was the continent of Gondowan. It was sweltering hot in this part of the world, but I kept going, battling monsters along the way.

There was this one monster in particular, a Flash Ant, which was very powerful, but, thankfully, my Water Psynergy kept it at bay. _I cannot wait till I reach Kibombo, so I can get my orb back! _I thought angrily as I fought off another Flash Ant. I eventually reached a village. My only hope was that I had finally reached Kibombo. I nearly collapsed at the entrance from exhaustion, but thankfully, I remained standing, long enough for a young boy to notice me. He walked up to me. "Are you okay, mister?" he asked politely.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you." I said to him. "Is this Kibombo, perchance?"

"No, mister." the young boy said, eyeing me suspiciously. "This is Naribwe. Kibombo is further north. Are you headed there?"

"Yes, I am." I said. "A group of them attacked the town where I was staying. In the process of their attack, they had stolen... something precious from me. I need to reclaim it."

"I see." the young boy said. "Well, why don't you rest before head out again? You look exhausted."

There's _an understatement for you!_ I thought. But, I said aloud, "I would love to. Where is the inn?"

The young boy guided me to the inn. "Thanks, again." I said, starting to hand him a couple of gold coins.

"Oh, you don't have to pay me, mister." He said. "Your thanks are reward enough." And he walked off.

_What a generous young man!_ I thought. _I wonder if he treats all travelers with the same courtesy?_ I opened the inn door and walked in. The person who I assumed was the innkeeper turned around, saying, "Ah! Another traveler!"

"Er... I need a place to stay..." I said, feeling very awkward.

"Of course you do!" the innkeeper said. "Now, how long are you willing to stay?"

"One night." I said.

"One night?" the innkeeper asked. "That's all? You look like you haven't rested well in at least a week!"

"I'll be fine." I insisted. "One night."

The innkeeper sighed. "Very well." he said. "That'll be 24 gold coins, please."

I took out my moneybag, counted out the correct amount and handed to the innkeeper. "Thank you," he said.

He took me to my room and said, "This is the best room I have." he said. "Have a nice rest."

"Thank you." I said politely. "Good night."

Then, without removing my sword from my belt, I walked to the hammock, collapsed in exhaustion on top of it and fell into a deep, troubled sleep. Disturbing thoughts filled my head as I slept. What if I never make it back to Lemuria? What if something happens to Mother while I'm gone? What if the senate for sending me out of Lemuria punishes King Hydros? So many more thoughts plagued my sleep. But, when I woke up the next morning, the troubling thoughts were gone, and were replaced with feelings of determination to get my orb back. As I exited my room, the innkeeper's wife came up to me and gave me a tray of food. "Here you go, dear," she said. "You look very hungry."

"Thank you." I said, taking the tray from her.

"You're welcome, dear." she said, walking off.

I looked down at the tray and gasped. It was filled with tons of food; grilled steak, fried eggs, sliced fruit, and so much more. I am surprised even now that I managed to eat it all. I guess I needed my strength for the journey ahead. When I had finished, I handed the tray back to innkeeper's wife. I could tell that she was surprised I had eaten all that food, too. "Do you think I could have some extra food for the road?" I asked the innkeeper.

"Sure," the innkeeper said. "But it'll cost a few extra coins."

It was going to set me back a little bit, but it would not hurt to have some food on the road, in case I get hungry. So, I shelled out a few more coins for some food, and the innkeeper's wife filled a satchel to the brim with food. "Here you go, dear," she said, handing me the satchel.

"Thank you." I said, taking the satchel and strapping it to my back.

"Have a safe journey, young man." the innkeeper said. "And if you're headed towards Kibombo, be careful trekking through the mountains. There are lots of Kibombo warriors guarding the pass."

I winced at being called "young man" again, but I let it go. "Thanks." I said, heading out the door like a shot. I stopped at the weapon shop to see if I could reequip myself with a better weapon than the mere Lemurian blade I had been using since Lunpa started giving me swordplay lessons. We looked around the store, but nothing caught my fancy until the shopkeeper walked me over to this very odd-looking sword. "This sword here is called a Claymore," the shopkeeper told me. "It may not look like much, but trust me, you'll be happy when you're surrounded by powerful monsters!"

"It looks remarkable!" I said. "How much is it if I trade in this sword?" I was holding the sword that was strapped to my belt.

He took a look at the sword I was holding and gasped. "I haven't seen a sword like this in ages!" He exclaimed. "I'm surprised it's still in very good condition!"

"Well, I clean and polish it very often." I said matter-of-factly.

"Not only that," the shopkeeper said. "This sword is more than 200 years old, and it's still intact!"

"Well, it was my great-grandfather's." I lied quickly. I didn't want him to get any ideas.

"Why do want to sell it?" the shopkeeper said suspicion in his eyes.

"My family is very poor." I lied. "My mother told me we had no choice but to sell the family heirlooms for some money. She also told me I needed a better sword for my swordplay classes."

"Well, let's see..." the shopkeeper said. "That sword is worth about 1,375 coins, and the Claymore is 4,000 coins."

"That's still 2,625 coins!" I said. "I'm afraid I don't have that kind of money."

There seemed to a long pause following what I had just said. The shopkeeper seemed to be thinking. "You know what?" he finally said with a smile. "Because I like you, we'll just trade swords."

"What?" I asked, hardly daring to believe it. "You're going to let me trade this old thing for a sword of that power... for free!"

"Shhhhh!" the shopkeeper said. "Not so loud!"

"Sorry." I whispered. "But, still..."

"Yep." the shopkeeper said. "Here you go." He handed me the Claymore.

"Thanks." I said, handing him my old sword.

"Pleasure doing business with you, sir." the shopkeeper said.

As soon as I left the shop, I tied the Claymore to my belt. I left Naribwe and made the hard trek north, towards Kibombo. Many more monsters attacked me, but my new Claymore made short work of them. I soon reached a huge mountain pass. I was certain this was the same mountain pass the innkeeper had told me about. Sure enough, when I entered the pass, there were some warriors guarding every corner of the mountain. I was heading towards the main entrance when one of the warriors stopped me saying, "Halt! Who are you?"

"Just a friendly stranger." I replied. "I wish to enter Kibombo, so that I can trade my wares."

"I'm sorry, sir," the warrior said, not sounding very sorry at all. "But, we cannot allow you to pass."

"Why is that?" I asked, keeping things friendly.

"There is an important ceremony going on in Kibombo," the warrior explained. "If Akafubu does not complete it, he will hold us responsible."

"That's a little harsh, isn't it?" I asked.

"I agree with you, but still, we cannot allow to pass." the warrior said. "Again, accept my apologies."

"I'm sorry, too." I said, with mock sadness.

"For what?" the warrior asked.

"For having to do this." I replied. **_"COOL!"_**

I cast my Cool Psynergy on the Kibombo warriors who were surrounding me. They were instantly knocked unconscious. Then, I ran for my life. The other Kibombo warriors saw me, but they didn't bother chasing me because they had seen what I had done to their comrades, and apparently, they did not want the same thing to happen to them.

I kept running and running until, I saw a village in the distance, and towering over the village was a huge, strange-looking statue. I entered the village to discover all the villagers were huddled around the area leading up to the statue. _How am I going to get through so I can get my orb back?_ I thought.

Then, I noticed some vines on one of walls the throng was around. I snuck through the crowd, and climbed the vines. I saw there was a long row of pillars leading from one side to the other. I hopped from pillar to pillar, making sure no one saw me. Soon, I reached the other side. I went up, and there it was, that huge statue. I stood there, gazing in awe. Then I saw a crowd of Kibombo warriors and one Kibombo who was dressed in robes of some kind. They were surrounding the base of the statue. I could only assume the one in the robes was Akafubu. "Prepare yourselves!" he said. "For the ceremony is about to begin!"

_I don't think so!_ I thought. But, just as I was about to strike, I heard a rustling in the forest around me, and a girl's voice saying, "Ouch, Felix, that was my foot!"

"Sorry, Jenna." A young man's voice said.

"I ought to flambé you for that, you know!" the girl's voice said.

"This is no time to fight, guys," another girl's voice said.

"Quite right." an older man's voice said. "We have to find Piers."

_They're looking for me!_ I thought. _But who are these people?_ I drew my sword just in case. I soon discovered who they were, as all four of them came tumbling out of the forest, and lay sprawled out on the ground. As I looked them, they looked vaguely familar. "Who are you?" I demanded. "And, what are your intentions?"

All four of them got up and brushed themselves off. "It seems Piers has forgotten all about us, huh?" the auburn-haired girl asked the brown-haired man.

"Yeah, it would seem so, Jenna." the brown-haired man said to the girl known as Jenna.

"I think I know why, Felix," the blond-haired girl said to the man called Felix.

"Why?" Felix asked.

"We met Piers when he was in jail!" The blond-haired girl said. "And, it's not like he had many visitors either!"

"I agree, Sheba," the old man said to the girl named Sheba. "Especially after that little display of Psynergy."

"Wait a second..." I said, examining the people standing before me more carefully. "I know you... you're the travelers that came seeking me while I was jailed in Madra."

"So you _do_ remember!" the old man exclaimed.

"Yes." I said, sheathing my sword. "But what brings you to this dangerous place?"

"What do you mean?" Jenna asked.

"We were worried about you, Piers." Sheba added.

"We thought we might want to lend a hand." Felix chimed in.

"Tell me something..." I said.

"What?" Felix asked.

"Exactly when did I ask for your help?" I asked.

Felix was about to respond, but, as if on cue, Akafubu cried out, "Silence!" and all of us fell silent.

We looked on as Akafubu cried out, "Now is the time to present our jewel to the Great Gabomba!"

He walked up to a pedestal, upon which sat... _my orb!_ Felix and the others must have noticed it, too because they started holding me back, as if I were going dive down there grab it. "Let me go!" I whispered to them. "I'm not that rash."

"Sorry." Jenna whispered, releasing me. "One of my childhood friends was and still is a little bit rash every now and again. I thought you'd be the same way."

"Ahhh." I said, not really listening.

The five of us continued to watch as Akafubu used the Psynergy known as Lift to raise my orb high above the pedestal towards the head of the statue known as the Great Gabomba. "Great Gabomba, please accept this! Our humble gift!" Akafabu said, casting some kind of Psynergy spell I never seen before.

_Humble gift, my foot!_ I thought angrily. Suddenly, the statues eyes opened and the Kibombo warriors gasped. "Look!" Akafubu exclaimed. "The Great Gabomba has noticed the light of our jewel!"

Not long after he said this, however, the statue's eyes closed. "Why, Great Gabomba?" I heard Akafubu murmur sadly, as my orb floated back down to the pedestal.

He then turned towards the Kibombo warriors, with the utmost anger in his eyes. "Your prayers were weak!" He screamed at them. "Open your hearts to the Great Gabomba!" And at once, the warriors began singing praises at the top of their voices to the Great Gabomba.

"Akafubu is no witch doctor!" I said angrily, forgetting that Felix and the others were standing there. "He's an Adept! I may have to confront him to get my orb back."

"Now, Piers, let's not be rash..." Jenna said, trying to calm me down.

But, I wasn't listening to her. I was wildly running around, looking around for some kind of shortcut. When I stopped to catch my breath, I saw Felix calmly walk over to a stump that was blocking the very shortcut I was looking for. "_Move._" he said aloud, pointing his hand towards the stump.

Suddenly, I saw a ghostly force moving the stump into a nearby pit and it fell with a light banging sound. I gaped in awe, trying to comprehend what I had just seen. Felix, however, just simply turned to me and just shrugged his shoulders. When I finally found my voice, "Was that Psynergy?" was I the first thing I said.

When Felix nodded, I was even more shocked. Then, it hit me. "I should've spotted it at once!" I said, laughing to myself for being so blind. "You're Adepts!"

"Does this mean you're...?" Jenna asked.

"Yes, Jenna." I said. "I too am an Adept."

There was a slight pause before I went on. "To be honest with you," I continued. "Everyone in Lemuria is an Adept to some degree."

"What's Lemuria?" Sheba asked.

"It's the city of an ancient people that lies on an island in the Sea of Time, the misty area in the heart of the Eastern Sea." I explained.

"Wait a moment..." the old man interrupted. "You said 'Lemuria'!"

Encouraged by my prompt nod, he continued, "I've heard that name before!" He seemed to be excited with the very thought.

After another pause, it came to him. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "It was Lord Babi! He had spoken of Lemuria quite frequently. He told me that life in Lemuria is so advanced, we can only scarcely imagine what life is like!"

"You're friend is correct." I replied. "Whoever told you this must know much about Lemuria. Hang on... Babi... I've heard that name before..."

"Yeah, everyone knows about Lord Babi!" Sheba said, with contempt in her voice. "He's the ruler of Tolbi!"

"I've never heard of Tolbi." I said. "And until recently, I have never left Lemuria."

"Piers, are you playing games with us?" Jenna asked disbelievingly.

"Please, what would I gain from lying to you?" I responded. "I am being quite serious."

"Piers is not playing games, Jenna," the old man agreed. "You can trust him."

I suddenly became very warmer towards the old man. "Thank you for believing me, master sage!" I said to him happily.

"Please, I am called Kraden, Piers of Lemuria," the old man named Kraden said just as happily. "To be honest, Ishould be the one thanking you!"

Felix and the others stared at him, with a mixture of confusion and wonder on their faces. "All of you look a little confused" he said. "You're probably wondering what I'm talking about..."

"Uh, yeah." Felix said.

"A little clarification _would_ be nice, Kraden!" Jenna said.

"I shouId have guessed as much..." Kraden murmured.

"Wait a moment!" I said, realizing something. "I remember now! Babi was the name of a man who came to Lemuria several decades ago. He stole one of our ships fled the isle."

"Indeed?" Kraden asked. "Then, that must be the same Babi who leads the people of Tolbi, because he had told me he had a magnificent Lemurian ship. Although, I have never seen it for myself."

"Now, I'm getting more confused." Jenna said, . "It's almost making my head hurt."

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"If Babi stole a ship from Lemuria, why would he want to find it again?" she asked.

"I don't expect you to comprehend it, my dear." Kraden said. "You see, Babi's reasons for finding Lemuria are... complex."

"What do you mean, 'complex'?" Sheba asked.

"You see, Babi believed in Lemuria, the power of Alchemy remains unbound." Kraden explained. "And, Babi had need of Lemuria's Alchemy, but we could not find Lemuria, which is why I was sent to Vale to find the Elemental Stars."

_Elemental Stars..._ I thought. _Could these be the Adepts King Hydros told me about? The ones who are trying to unleash the power of Alchemy upon Weyard again?_

"I want to help Piers so we can go to Lemuria!" Kraden continued. "What do you say, Felix?"

"Yeah, I'll do it!" Felix said.

"Us, too!" Jenna and Sheba chorused.

"Splendid!" Kraden said. "What do you say, Piers?"

"I appreciate the offer, but..." I said.

"But, what?" Kraden asked.

"If it is something you must do for Babi, then I cannot permit it." I said.

"Why is that?" Kraden asked.

"Babi is a thief." I explained. "He is not well loved in Lemuria."

"I just want to see the full power of Alchemy, that's all," he said, giving me the weirdest look.

At first, I was a little confused, but then, I got the message. "Oh! Well then, that's different!" I said, with a smile.

"Please, can we talk about this later?" Jenna asked impatiently.

"Yeah, can we?" Sheba asked in the same manner.

"I'm sorry." Kraden said. "Let's focus on getting Piers' orb for now."

And, that was how I joined Felix and the others. We crept quietly around to the backside of the statue, making sure Akafubu and his men didn't see us. Suddenly, I noticed a strange patch of dirt. "Kraden, look at this!" I whispered.

Kraden examined the patch of dirt. "Hmmm..." He murmured to himself.

After long while, Kraden said, "Listen up, Felix..."

"What do you want?" Felix asked.

"Dig there!" Kraden said, pointing to the patch of dirt.

Felix put his hand over the patch of dirt. "_Scoop!_" he muttered.

Without warning, a big clump of dirt was removed from the patch, revealing a ladder! "It appears we're going to have to enter the Great Gabomba." Kraden said.

"Oh, great!" Jenna said, not too happy about the situation.

I smiled. "Ladies first." I said to Jenna and Sheba.

Jenna sighed. "All right, all right..."

Jenna and Sheba climbed down the ladder. A few seconds later, Jenna's voice said, "Hurry up, you guys!"

"Yeah, you've gotta see this!" Sheba's voice said.

"Be right down." Felix said, climbing down the ladder.

Then, Kraden climbed down, and then I did. What I saw afterwards surprised me. It was not going to be an easy trek through the Great Gabomba after all.


	9. Chapter 8: The Inside of the Great Gabom...

Chapter 8: Inside the Great Gabomba

What I saw shocked me: it was a bunch of moving gears and gizmos that all seemed to be powered by some kind of Psynergy. "Oh!" Kraden said, as if he had just remembered something.

"What is it, Kraden?" I asked.

"You're a Water Adept, aren't you, Piers?" he asked.

"Yes, I am." I said, mildly surprised by the question. "Why do you ask?"

"I just find it fascinating that we now have an Adept for each element of Alchemy." Kraden said. "It's almost seems like it was fated to happen…"

"I see…" I said, feeling awkward.

"Excuse me, but are you guys going to talk all night or are we going to get your orb back, Piers?" Jenna asked impatiently.

"Sorry, Jenna." Kraden said. "I just got a little excited."

"Let's go, everyone." Felix said firmly.

We continued onward. It seemed to be pretty much nothing but a long maze of gears, but I had a feeling it was so much more than that. We approached a ladder. I went to climb it, but Jenna stopped me. "Hey Piers," she said.

"What's the matter, Jenna?" I asked.

"There's something I didn't mention earlier that's been bothering me." she said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Your orb..." Jenna said.

"What about it?" I asked.

"What exactly is so special about it?" she asked.

"I've been wondering the same thing as well." Sheba added.

"The orb is a very important component to my ship." I said.

"How so?" Kraden asked.

"Well, Lemurian ships can only be helmed by Adepts." I explained. "The orb is powered by Psynergy, and Psynergy is what makes the ship go."

"So, in other words, you need it in order to sail your ship?" Felix asked.

"Correct." I said. "Now, let us proceed."

We climbed the ladder and continued onward. As we were heading to a ladder leading to another floor of the statue, we saw the strangest thing. A mouse was crawling around on the ground, and suddenly, it stopped. It looked at us, let out a squeak of fright and bounced around on the gears in the opposite direction, as if it was in an effort to get away from us. "Strange." Kraden said. "I've never seen mice act like that."

"Neither have I, Kraden." Felix agreed.

"Well, I hope we don't have to worry about it coming back." Jenna said, with an involuntary shudder.

"What's the matter?" I asked her. "Do you not like mice?"

"No." Jenna said tightly. "I just don't like any kind of rodent, period."

"I see." I said.

"Next time I see it, I just wanna burn it up so much, that not even ashes remain!" Jenna continued, not hearing me.

"Calm down, Jenna." Felix said, patting her on the shoulder. "It's all right."

_Jenna seems to be a bit of a firebrand_. I thought as we continued forward. _I guess it would be best to tread lightly around her._

"I agree, Piers." Sheba said.

I looked at her. "Will you stop doing that?" I asked indignantly. "It gives me the creeps when you do that."

"Sorry." Sheba said. "But, if you'd learn to veil your mind when you think, then maybe my Mind Read wouldn't penetrate your thoughts so easily."

"I'll keep that in mind." I replied. "I'm sorry about what I said before."

"Don't worry about it." Sheba replied with reassurance in her voice. "I'm used to it. I was raised in a village where my Psynergy made me a 'child of the gods'."

"I was considered special in my hometown, as well." I agreed. "But, for different reasons..."

"And those reasons were...?" Sheba asked.

"To be honest, Sheba, I don't feel very comfortable discussing it." I said. "It's nothing against you, but…"

"I understand." Sheba said. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"That's okay." I said,

Soon, we entered a very odd chamber. There was a statue in the middle, and there was all this commotion going on outside the chamber. The noise sounded familar to me, but apparently, Felix and the others paid it no heed. We climbed up yet another ladder, only to arrive in another odd-looking chamber. Not long after we entered this chamber, we head Akafubu's voice cry out, "Focus your energies!" It was then my suspicions about the noise were confirmed.

Kraden ran over to one of the huge eyes at the bottom of the chamber, and looked down towards the chamber floor. "Everyone!" he said. "Come over here!"

We heard Akafubu say his usual "O Great Gabomba, accept this, our humble gift!" and what we saw following that was extraordinary. After he cast his spell, we saw the Psynergy flowing past us into a series of conduits that lined the floor. The Psynergy flowed along them and then suddenly fizzled and died. "Ah-ha!" Jenna exclaimed. "So that's it..."

"What is it, Jenna?" Kraden and I asked at the same time.

"His ceremony's been failing because these conduits that channel his Psynergy have been tampered with." she explained.

"Translation, please." Sheba said, agitation in her voice.

"In other words, he can't do the ceremony properly because the circuits on the floor are busted." Felix said.

"Oh..." Sheba said.

"You know, I think I'm rubbing off on you, Jenna..." Kraden said, chuckling.

"Don't even go there, Kraden!" Jenna said savagely.

"Go where?" I asked.

"Never mind." Felix whispered to me. "It's better that you don't understand, Piers."

"Okay... whatever you say, Felix." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Anyway," Kraden said as if he were in deep thought. "I think we should find a way to help him finish his ceremony. What do you think, Felix?"

"I think that would be a good idea, Kraden." Felix said.

Now it was my turn to be angry. "I won't help them, Felix!" I snapped, almost shouting. "He's the one who led the party that stole my orb the Madrans!"

"Calm down, Piers..." Jenna said, patting me on the shoulder.

"Piers, I understand why you're angry, but it would really be best if we helped." Kraden said. "What do you think he going to do with your orb?"

"He's going to give to the Great Gabomba..." I said, at first angry, then I gradually calmed down, because I was struck by an idea. " Oh! So if it's brought inside the statue..."

"That's right, Piers!" Kraden said. "We can get it when it rolls in. Now, let's get cracking!"

We inspected the chamber. There was a pole sticking up from the ground. Jenna used her Psynergy to Pound it into the ground. As a result, portions of the conduits on the floor were raised into the air. We pressed these buttons on both sides of the pole to rotate the blocks so Akafubu's Psynergy would go to the correct spot. When they were rotated to the proper position, Jenna Pounded them in with her Psynergy. We worked quickly, as we wanted to get the orb as soon as possible. Soon, we were finished. Not long afterward, we heard Akafubu crying out in desperation, "Please accept this, O Great Gabomba! I beg of you! It is our humble gift!"

We rushed down to the chamber below and waited. Suddenly my orb came rolling in. We all dived for it, but we couldn't get it in time. It disappeared into a hole at the bottom of the statue. "Oh, no!" I cried out in agony. "Now I'll never see Lemuria again! I am lost forever to my homeland!"

"There, there, Piers." Jenna said, patting me on the shoulder again. "It's all right. It's all right..."

"Hey!" Sheba said, peering into the hole.

"What is it, Sheba?" Kraden asked.

"I see a light on the other side of this statue." Sheba said. "There's still a chance we could get your orb back, Piers."

"A light?" I said, hardly daring to believe it.

"Yes." Sheba said with the utmost sincerity.

"What's the meaning of this?" a voice said. Akafubu had arrived.

He stared at us for a second before asking "Are you people of Kibombo?"

"I'm afraid not." Felix said.

"Then what are you doing inside the Great Gabomba?" Akafubu demanded.

I stepped forward. "We came to reclaim my black orb!" I said, my hand over the hilt of my sword. "The one _you _stole!"

"Do you really think I would permit you to take it?" Akafubu asked angrily.

"Hey, is it that any way to thank someone for helping you?" Jenna asked, her fiery anger welling up again.

Akafubu looked confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Follow me." Jenna said, taking him by the hand and leading him to the upper chamber. We followed them. I could have sworn I heard Akafubu whimpering when Jenna grabbed his hand, but it might have been just my imagination.

Jenna explained how we helped him to complete his ceremony. Afterwards, he asked us why we helped him out. "Because we needed that orb for our journey." Kraden replied.

"Then, have you taken it already?" Akafabu asked.

"No." I said, shaking my head. "It rolled past us into a hole at the bottom of the statue, where we saw a light glowing from it, as if there were something on the other side."

"Ahhh." Akafabu said. "So that's it…"

"What's it?" Kraden asked.

"Follow me." Akafubu said. "I may be able to retrieve it."

We walked down to the lower chamber. Akafabu placed a weird jewel in the statue's hands and it moved out of the way to reveal a hidden doorway. Akafabu walked in. We followed him. We went onto a platform, and it lowered just as we walked onto it.

We walked down a narrow pathway towards another doorway. There we found Akafubu murmuring to himself. "I have follow Oeia's instructions and reached the final chamber, but I do not know what to do in order to earn the title of witch doctor." he murmured.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

It was then he noticed we were there. "Oh! It's you. Your orb is sitting over there," he said, pointing to the statue at the end of the room. "Go ahead and take it."

"Thanks." I said, grateful for his cooperation.

However, as soon as I touched it, it rose into the air and it stood there, suspended. Then, the room darkened. Afterwards, a voice spoke, **_"Akafubu... you have done well."_**

"Wh-who spoke!" Akafubu demanded, looking around in confusion.

"I believe it was the statue, Akafubu." Kraden said.

"Impossible..." Akafubu muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

**_"Your magical arts have certainly improved, Akafubu,"_** the voice said. This time when it spoke, I noticed that the statue's eyes glowed with a strange light.

"Th-thank you, O Great Gabomba!" Akafubu stammered, looking at the statue with a hint of fear in his eyes.

**_"Do not fear me, Akafubu,"_** the statue said. **_"I am merely here to present you with the feather and cloak of your office as witch doctor."_**

As the statue spoke these words, a feather appeared on Akafubu's turban, and the cloak he was currently wearing was replaced with a much better looking one. **_"From this day forth, you shall be Kibombo's witch doctor!"_** the statue announced.

"At last!" Akafubu said, jumping for joy. He then practically skipped out of the room, happy that he had finally become a witch doctor.

Then a chest floated down from the sky. **_"Akafubu, you hasty fool... there was still one more thing I had to give you!"_** the statue said angrily. **_"Say, you there..."_**

"Who, me?" Felix asked, surprised.

**_"Yes, you!"_** the statue said. **_"I need you to do something for me..."_**

"What?" Felix asked.

**_"Akafubu is not yet ready to earn this magic,"_** the statue explained. **_"So, I want you to tell him if you he ceases to live for himself and refines his magical arts, he will be ready to earn it."_**

"Do you think we could get that power ourselves?" Kraden asked.

**_"What do you mean?"_** the statue asked.

"What I'm saying is that, maybe if Akafubu would be able to take both his position and your message seriously if he were to compete for this magical power." Kraden explained.

**_"Hmmm…"_** the statue said. **_"An interesting idea…"_**

"Do you like it, O Great Gabomba?" Kraden asked.

**_"Yes, I do."_** the statue said. **_"Very well. Tell him all that I have said, and your competition for the magic. I shall sleep until that time… Farewell…"_**

The room lit up again and I caught my orb as it was falling to the ground. The chest that was on the floor had disappeared, and a staircase appeared in it's place. "Say, Felix..." Kraden said. "Do you have any clue what this 'Great Gabomba' is?"

"Not really, no." Felix said, shaking his head.

"Good." Kraden said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Then I don't feel so foolish… Well, let us fulfill our promise to the Gabomba."


	10. Chapter 9: To the Ship!

Chapter 9: To the Ship!

We left the statue of the Great Gabomba and headed for the village. We found Akafubu's hut and went inside to talk to him. Felix and Kraden told him the Great Gabomba's words and also that they wanted it's magic as well. By the time they had finished their story, dawn had broken. "Well, I guess that's that!" Kraden mused when they had finished.

"You are virtuous men and women." Akafubu's father said to us. "Thank you for delivering this message to us."

"What do we have to be thankful for?" Akafubu snapped. "If they had just stopped me, I would have had the Great Gabomba's magic by now!"

"If you were more interested in your position, you would not have left the chamber in the first place!" Akafubu's father said, appalled.

"But, Father!" Akafubu whined. "They're trying to steal the magic of our people!"

"Do not whine!" Akafubu's father snapped. "That is no way for any leader of Kibombo to behave!"

Ignoring him, Akafubu turned to us. "I'll show you! _I'm_ the one worthy of the Great Gabomba's magic!" he snapped. "And, _I'll_ be the one to get it! You'll see!"

Then, Akafubu stormed out of the room. There was a long pause before anyone spoke. "I am profoundly sorry for my son's behavior." Akafubu's father said, breaking the silence. "He only acts like this when I'm around."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"He always thinks I am going to take his side no matter the situation." Akafubu's father explained. "So, I think it is best that you leave now."

"Good idea." Kraden said, nodding.

"Felix, I think we should rest at the inn before we leave." I suggested. "We didn't get to sleep last night, due to the circumstances..."

"Great idea, Piers." Felix said. "Any objections?"

"I have none." Kraden said.

"I don't." Jenna said.

"None that I know of." Sheba said.

"Good." Felix said. "Let's get going!"

"Wait!" Akafubu's father said. "Take this with you. My son found it inside of the statue last night and said he had no use for it." He handed Felix an odd-looking rod.

"Thank you very much." Felix said.

"You are welcome." Akafubu's father said. "Do not worry about my son. I shall try to set things straight with him."

"We'd greatly appreciate that." Kraden said. "Well, let's go!"

We headed to the inn and rested. Surprisingly, I actually slept a lot better in Kibombo than I had in Naribwe. I dreamt of being back in Lemuria, standing next to King Hydros in front of cheering crowd chanting my name. My mother and uncle's face stood out from among the group, with the look of pride on their faces that I was able to return home safely. My new companions were standing on each side of me. Jenna and Sheba were blowing kisses, Felix just waved, and Kraden was simply bowing multiple times. The best part of all, Conservato was nowhere in sight. Then, King Hydros walked up to me, put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Piers, it's time to get up."

"What?" I said, a little shocked.

"I said, 'It's time to get up', Piers." King Hydros said angrily. "Now get up before I make 'poached Piers' for breakfast."

My eyes snapped open. There was Jenna, standing over me. "Oh, it was you." I said. "I thought you were-"

"That I was what?" Jenna asked.

"Nothing." I said, shaking the cobwebs out of my head. "Never mind."

"You were smiling." Jenna said. "What were you dreaming about?"

"It wasn't what you're thinking, I swear!" I said truthfully.

"Okay, okay." Jenna said, trying to calm me down. "I'm sorry. Just color me nosy."

"I don't think that's a color, Jenna." I said.

Jenna laughed at that. "What's so funny?" I asked, oblivious to the humor.

"You are, you silly Lemurian!" Jenna said, amid her giggling.

"I wasn't trying to be funny!" I said with conviction.

She noticed the seriousness in my tone. "You know, Piers..." Jenna said, moving her face close to mine.

"What?" I asked, a little nervous.

"You're much too tense." she said, patting me on the shoulder. "You've gotta lighten up a little bit."

Jenna then headed towards the door. Then, she faced me again. "Oh, by the way, breakfast is ready if you want some." she said.

"Thanks." I said, sitting up in the bed and rubbing my eyes.

"Don't mention it." Jenna said sweetly. Then, she was gone.

I let out a huge yawn and stretched. Then, I got up and grabbed my sword. After strapping it to my belt, I headed down the ladder and headed outside. Jenna was standing there, apparently waiting for me. "Took you long enough," she said teasingly.

We walked over to a campfire that Felix had started. "Ah! The Lemurian hast awoken from his slumber!" Sheba said dramatically as we approached.

"C'mon Sheba, leave him alone." Jenna said. "He just woke up for crying out loud!"

"Here you go, Piers." Felix said, handing me a steaming mug.

"What's this?" I asked looking at the murky brown liquid in the mug.

"Hot coffee." Felix said. "Just the thing to wake you up."

"Thanks." I said, taking a sip. "Mmmm... This is delicious!"

"You say that as if you've never had it before." Kraden remarked.

"I haven't." I replied. "We haven't had coffee in Lemuria for quite a while."

"How long, exactly?" Kraden asked.

"I don't know... probably over 400 years." I said casually.

"Wow." Sheba said, astounded. "That's quite a long time."

"It's not really a long time to us Lemurians, but I doubt people from the outside world would understand that." I said, taking another sip of coffee. "No offense meant, by the way."

"None taken." Kraden said.

While we were chatting, Felix was hard at work placing grilled steak and fried eggs on plates for us. "Here you go, guys," he said, handing the plates to us.

I took a bite. "Mmmm..." I said. "Felix, this is fantastic!"

"Thanks." Felix said. "You're _very_ lucky to be able to eat it."

"Why is that?" I asked in between bites.

"Because I cooked it," he replied, glancing at Jenna.

"Hey!" Jenna said.

After I was done with what was on my plate, I asked for a second helping. And a third after that. "Geez, Piers." Jenna said, gaping at me. "You sure eat a lot for someone your size."

"We Lemurians have high metabolisms." I explained.

"What does that mean?" Sheba asked.

"It means we have to consume a lot more food to sustain ourselves." I said. "But, it gradually slows down as we reach old age."

"Faster metabolisms?" Kraden asked, getting excited again. "Incredible! Babi never told me anything about that!"

"There he goes again..." Jenna muttered, rolling her eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Never mind." Jenna said. "I'll explain later."

After breakfast, I helped Felix pack up the dishes and leftovers into the bag I had received from the innkeeper of Naribwe. "Thanks." Felix said.

"It was nothing." I replied. "I'm always willing to help."

We met up with Jenna and the others at inn. "You guys ready?" Felix asked.

"Ready!" chorused Jenna, Sheba, and Kraden.

"All right, then!" Felix said. "Let's go!"

We hiked along the Kibombo Mountains. I realized something that the others probably didn't notice; the Kibombo warriors that usually guarded the pass were gone. I didn't mention this, as it would probably only delay our trek. We eventually reached Naribwe, and we stocked up on supplies. A lot of the townspeople recognized me. They told me I was pretty brave to be able to go to Kibombo and come back again. They also praised Felix and the others for being able to find me. It's almost like we became instant celebrities for this quiet, little village.

After we were done shopping, we said our goodbyes, and headed towards the land bridge connecting Gondowan to Indra. We eventually reached it and so began our hike across it. Along the way, Jenna found this weird mushroom. She pocketed it and we continued on our way. We reached the other end, and set up camp. That night, Felix was preparing dinner. He made a great beef stew. I noticed he had made a little extra because now he had someone in his party who has a pretty big appetite. "Should we head straight for your ship, Piers?" he asked as he handed me my bowl.

"No." I said, taking a bite. "I think we should go to Madra first."

"Why?" Jenna asked. "They're the people that jailed you for no reason!"

"That may be," I said. "But, I think both the mayor and the village elder would be happy to see me again after they probably found out from the villagers that I headed towards Kibombo."

"I see." Kraden said. "You want to put them at ease, don't you?"

"Yes." I said, taking another bite of stew. "Even though they didn't treat me very well as a prisoner, I can still bring myself to forgive them and tell them not to worry about me."

"Wow." Sheba said. "I wish I were like you, Piers."

"What do you mean, Sheba?" I asked.

"Remember when I told you about Babi imprisoning me?" she asked.

"Yes, I do." I said delicately.

"Well, no matter what, I couldn't bring myself to forgive Babi for what he did." Sheba said. "Even now, when I'm several hundred miles away from him, I still can't do it. So, in a way, we're similar, but different. Do you understand?"

"Similar, but different..." I said, echoing Sheba's words. "Yeah, I do understand. Completely."

The rest of the meal past in silence. After dinner, I went to go sit by myself for a while. I didn't even look up when Jenna came to see me. "Hey." she said softly. "You okay?"

"No." I said, with no trace of emotion.

"What's troubling you, Piers?" Jenna asked.

"I'm just really worried, that's all." I said.

"About what?" Jenna asked.

"My mother, who's back in Lemuria." I said.

"Oh." Jenna said.

"She's probably worrying herself sick over me." I said, close to tears.

"I'm sure she'll be just fine when we get there." Jenna said, patting me on the back in a reassuring manner. "Until then, try not to worry so much. Okay, Piers?"

"I'll do my best." I said, cheering up slightly. "Thanks, Jenna."

"Don't mention it," she said, playfully ruffling my hair. Then, she got up and headed back towards the campfire.

"What was that about?" I heard Felix ask.

"Nothing." Jenna replied. "Piers just wants some time to himself. In addition, he says _not_ to read his mind, Sheba."

"Awwww!" Sheba said, obviously disappointed.

I quietly laughed at that. _Thanks again, Jenna... _I thought. The next morning, we ate breakfast and then headed towards Madra. The first thing we did was head for the mayor's house. Along the way, we were stopped by a strange-looking girl. "Excuse me," she said to Felix. "Have you perchance seen a girl named Menardi?"

"Y-yes." Felix said, looking at the girl in horror.

"And, you're telling me... my sister's dead?" the girl asked.

"I'm sorry, but yes, that's true." Felix said, trying to keep his voice steady.

The girl suddenly grew furious. "Don't lie to me! Go! Just get out my sight!" she screamed, almost in anguish.

We quickly moved away from her. "Oh Menardi, where have you gone, my dear sister?" we heard the girl say as we were walking away.

"Who was that?" Kraden murmured.

"She knows Menardi!" Jenna and Sheba exclaimed.

Felix just stood there, motionless and speechless. "Hey." I said, waving my hand in front of his face. "Earth to Felix..."

Felix finally snapped out of it after I fired a mild cold burst with my Psynergy in his face. "What the hell is _she_ doing here?" he muttered.

"What are you talking about, Felix?" Jenna asked, very concerned.

"Is she a friend of yours?" Sheba asked.

"I wouldn't say 'friend', exactly." Felix said. "But, yeah, I do know her."

"Who is she?" I asked.

"I'm sure you'll find out for yourself soon..." Felix said darkly.

Jenna looked as if she were going to ask him something else, but then decided against it. We headed through the door to the mayor's house and saw that he and the village elder were sitting at a table, talking. The mayor looked up and saw us. "Felix!" he exclaimed. "You're back!"

Felix nodded, as I stepped out from behind him. "And, look! He's brought Piers with him!" the mayor's wife said happily.

The village elder looked at me, concern showing in his eyes. "Piers, I am terribly sorry we lost your orb," he said sadly.

I smiled. "Don't be." I reassured him. "Everything worked out for the best."

"What do you mean?" the mayor asked.

"We just came back from Kibombo after retrieving my orb." I explained.

"Incredible..." the elder murmured.

"Did you manage this all by yourself?" the mayor asked.

"No." I said. "It was through the aid of Felix and his companions that I was able to retrieve it."

"Wow!" a little boy I assumed was the mayor's son said. "You guys are so cool!"

"Thanks." Jenna said, blushing slightly.

"Anyway, we have to be going." I said.

"Why?" the elder asked.

"We must go to... the island that is my home." I said, choosing my words carefully.

"Before you go, take this creature with you," the mayor's son said, pointing to a Mercury Djinni. "My father found it when he traveled to Gondowan to find you guys."

I took the Djinni and placed it on my shoulder. "Thanks!" I said. "So long!"

"Goodbye!" everyone said.

As soon as we left the mayor's home, the mayor came out saying, "Felix, wait!"

"What is it, Mr. Mayor?" Felix said.

"Take this with you." the mayor said, handing him a strange-colored chip. "It's the reward I promised for helping with the ship."

"Thanks." Felix said.

"Have a safe journey, Felix," the mayor said. Then he turned around and headed back into his house.

As if from nowhere, the girl we had run into earlier had suddenly appeared. "Felix...?" she asked, taking a good, long look at Felix. "He just called you Felix, didn't he?"

"Yeah." Felix said.

"Why didn't I realize it sooner?" the girl asked herself. "You _are_ Felix!"

"Hello, Karst." Felix said tightly. "Glad to see you've finally remembered who I am. If you don't mind my asking, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Don't start with me!" Karst snapped. "Where are Saturos and Menardi?"

"You won't see Saturos or Menardi ever again." Sheba said sternly. "Isaac killed them. They're probably lying at the bottom of the sea right now..."

"Sheba!" Jenna hissed. "Be quiet!"

But, it was too late. "I heard that, you wretched little thing!" Karst said, stung by Sheba's words. "It's absolutely impossible... no Adept has the power to defeat my sister!"

She was looking right in the eyes. We quickly avoided eye contact. "Yet, all of you avoid my gaze..." Karst remarked. "I didn't want to believe it... it must be true..."

"How do you know that it wasn't Felix that killed your sister?" Kraden asked.

"What kind of a fool do you take me for?" Karst snapped. "I'm a warrior, just like my sister."

"So?" I asked.

"So, I can gauge an Adept's strength at a single glance." Karst replied. "Even if you doubled Felix's power, I doubt that he would have stood a chance against my sister."

Felix gripped the hilt of his sword. "Say that again." he muttered angrily. "I dare you to say that again, you bitch!"

"I also doubt that Felix would be able to find the courage to betray Menardi in the first place." Karst continued. "He knows the lives of those he holds dear hang in the balance..."

I saw the fury growing in both Jenna and Felix's eyes. I noticed Felix's grip tightening around the hilt of his sword. Karst must have hit a nerve. "Just who is this Isaac?" she asked.

No response. "Is he a friend of yours..." Karst said silkily. "...Or is he pursuing you?"

Still no response. "More likely the latter." Karst said to herself. "Lately, I've been hearing rumors of a traveler named Isaac, so I guess there's no reason to worry."

"What will you do once you find him?" Jenna asked, worry showing in her voice.

"I swear that the last thing he sees will be 'The Great Karst' avenging the death of her dear sister!" Karst proclaimed.

Felix quietly scoffed. "Heh. 'The Great Karst'. Yeah, right." he muttered.

"What was that?" Karst asked.

"I was just wondering what you wanted us to do in the meantime." Felix said innocently.

"I want you to find a way back to the Western Sea." Karst said.

"What shall we do once we get there?" Sheba asked.

"You may have to light Jupiter on your own." Karst said. "Unless you need some help..."

"No, I think we'll able to find Jupiter Lighthouse." Kraden said. "Thanks for the offer, though."

"I see." Karst said, eyeing Kraden suspiciously. "Just don't let us down! Look out, Isaac! Here we come!"

Karst left as quickly as she had appeared. "Wow, and I thought Saturos and Menardi had issues." Sheba remarked.

"I agree, Sheba." Kraden said. "We haven't seen the last of this."

"Who is Isaac, anyway?" I asked.

"He's a friend of ours." Jenna said, pointing to Felix, Kraden, and herself. "He's been following our group for quite some time."

"Why?" I asked.

"What we are trying to achieve," Kraden said. "They are trying to prevent."

"You mean, lighting the elemental lighthouses?" I asked.

"How'd you know?" Jenna asked, surprised.

"I had my suspicions when Kraden mentioned the Elemental Stars back in Kibombo." I explained.

"You're pretty sharp, Piers." Kraden said. "You could probably give me a run for my money."

"I don't think so." I said. "You've probably got many more years experience than I do, and that is saying something."

"Thanks." Kraden said. "Anyway, I think we should get going."

"Wait a minute!" I said. "Shouldn't we try to find Isaac and warn him about Karst's intentions?"

"Yeah." Sheba said, nodding. "I'm agreeing with Piers on this."

"Believe me, guys, I'd _love_ to see Isaac again, I don't think it's possible right now." Jenna said.

"Jenna's right." Kraden said. "We might end up fighting them. Let's go!"

"Wait!" Jenna said. "There's something I gotta do!"

We all looked at her in utter confusion. "Follow me!" she said.

We followed her to a house where an old couple lived. "Excuse me, sir." Jenna said to the old man. "Was this what you wanted?" She handed him the mushroom she had found while we were crossing the land bridge from Gondowan!

"Yes!" the old man said happily. "That's _exactly_ what I wanted! Thank you so much, young lady."

"Don't mention it." Jenna said.

As we turned to leave, the old man stopped us. "Wait!" he said. "Let me give you something for your trouble."

He headed upstairs, and then quickly came back down again.. There appeared to be the tail of a salamander in his hand. "I don't know if you want this, but this is all we can give you..." the old man said.

"Thank you." Jenna said, taking the tail.

"There's a blacksmith on Osenia named Sunshine that makes special weapons and armor with materials like that tail." the old man said. "I wish all of you a safe journey. Especially you, Piers."

"Thank you, sir." I said, nodding. "Shall we leave now, Jenna?"

She nodded, and we departed Madra and headed for the East Indra Coast. Suddenly, a voice cried out, "Hey! Wait a minute!" We turned around to face three suspicious-looking men. The man in the middle appeared to be their leader.

"Who are you?" Felix asked of them. "What do you want?"

"You were talking about Isaac, weren't you?" the leader asked, ignoring Felix's questions.

Felix and Kraden looked at each other, then back at the men. "Don't play dumb with us." the man of the left said. "The three of us heard you."

"Yeah, we know Isaac." Jenna said. "What do you want to know?"

The man on the right smiled, I immediately sensed it wasn't meant as a friendly gesture. "Can you tell us where we can find him?" he asked.

"Why should we tell _you_ anything?" I countered.

"Because, Isaac took good care of us during our stay in Vault," The leader said smoothly. "We merely wish to return the favor…"

"I'm afraid we don't know where you can find Isaac at the present time," Kraden said. "I'm sorry."

The leader let out a humorless chuckle. "Is that so?" he said. "Well then, I guess we'll just give you reward we planned to give him."

"You've got a grudge against Isaac, and you're going to just take it out on us?" Sheba asked. "How immature!"

"A grudge…" the man on the right said, echoing Sheba. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that…"

The men drew their weapons. Felix and the rest of us did the same. "Don't worry…" the leader said, a sinister smile crossing his face. "We're only going to give you a taste of what we've got planned for Isaac."

Suddenly, they attacked! Fortunately, we managed to fend them off using our Psynergy. When the dust cleared, the men were lying on the ground, moaning. "We lost again…" the leader groaned.

"Uh, boss?" the man on the left asked. "D'you think it was a mistake to go after these guys?"

"This means we're going back to jail, doesn't it?" The man on the right groaned.

"Why do we have to get back to jail… I hate it there…" the leader muttered.

"It's not like we really hurt anyone this time…" the man on the left said. "After all, we lost!"

""Yeah… it's not like we stole anything… this time…" the leader agreed.

After that comment, we were shocked. "You're thieves!" Kraden exclaimed.

"If we asked around, I'm sure we could find a dozen reasons to have you guys locked up!" Felix said curtly.

Now it was the thieves' turn to be surprised. They quickly got up. "Are you guys wandering sheriffs or something?" The leader asked.

"No, we're merely mercenaries traveling the world to get stronger." I said.

"You know, we could be really useful to you guys…" the leader said.

"Do you honestly think we'd let you join us after the stunt you just pulled?" Jenna asked.

"Please!" the leader begged. "Anything to keep us out of jail!"

"No way!" Sheba said. "Leave and don't bother us or anyone else again!"

"Fine…" the leader said, defeated. "So long…"

They bolted from the scene, disappearing into a nearby forest. In their haste, they dropped a pair of golden boots. Quickly, Kraden swiped the pair of boots off the ground and stuffed them into his cloak. "What?" he asked when he saw all of us staring at him. "There's no sense leaving them here."

Jenna sighed. "Let's continue to the coast." she said, rolling her eyes.

When we reached the coast, my ship was still sitting in the surf. _"That's_ your ship?" Sheba asked, pointing to it.

When I nodded, everyone continued to look at it, as if they were awestruck by the sight. I never quite understood why. It was just a ship. "Come on, everyone!" I said, climbing the ladder.

Felix and the others followed me soon afterward. Felix immediately headed towards the tiller. "Don't bother, Felix." I said.

"Why?" Felix asked.

"Follow me and you will see." I said with a smile.

We headed towards the door leading into the cabin. Felix got there first, and tried to open the door. "Why won't this door open?" he said in frustration.

"Because it's locked, Felix." I said casually.

"Locked?" Jenna asked. "Why would it be locked?"

"It's guarded by a special defense mechanism most Lemurian ships have these days." I said.

"Fascinating!" Kraden said enthusiastically. "How does it work exactly?"

"It would take too long to explain, Kraden." I said.

"Then, how do you open it?" Sheba asked.

"Wait there a moment." I said, walking up to the cabin door.

I took out my orb, and it started to glow. After a flash of bright white light, the door was open! "In order for the ship to run, we have to restore its power." I explained. "Now, follow me!"

We entered the cabin, and I could tell Felix and the others were in awe over what they were looking at. "This is nothing." I said, looking at their shocked faces.

"Are sure about that, Piers?" Kraden said, trying hard to contain his excitement.

"Yeah, I'm sure." I said, rolling my eyes. "Let's head down."

We traveled down through the ship, fighting little monsters called Aqua Jellies along the way. "How much farther, Piers?" Felix asked.

"We're halfway there." I said.

"Are you serious!" Jenna said, clearly exasperated.

"Don't fret, Jenna." I said, laughing. "We're almost there. I was only kidding."

"Don't joke like that, Piers!" Sheba said.

"Hey, Jenna's the one who told me to 'lighten up' because she thought I was too tense." I said.

Jenna blushed furiously when Felix, Sheba, and Kraden looked at her. "Well, I did think he was a little too stressed out..." she said sheepishly.

We continued on down. Just before we reached the final floor, we ran into a massive monster called an Aqua Hydra. It was a gigantic, three-headed, blue-colored sea serpent. I could sense it was armed with the power of Water, which meant my attacks were pretty much useless against it. "Was this part of your plan, Piers?" Kraden asked.

"No, Kraden." I said, surveying the creature. "I don't even know how this monster got on board in the first place. I know I locked the door before I left!"

"Well, we'll have to defeat this thing if we're gonna get to the bottom level!" Jenna said.

"Well, then, let's do it!" I said, hardly believing that I had just said that.

It was my first big battle with Felix and the others. I remember it well. _"Diamond Dust" I shouted_

Chucks of ice flew from my hands and crashed down on the creature. It didn't even flinch. _"Fume!"_ Jenna shouted. A long pillar of flames flew from Jenna. It crashed into the monster with a powerful burst of flames. The monster howled with excruciating pain.

"It must be weak against Fire!" I said. "Jenna, you've got to hit it with everything you've got!"

"Gotcha!" Jenna said. She then proceed to channel every ounce of strength she could into her Psynergy.

_"Storm Ray!"_ Sheba shouted.

_"Ragnarok!"_ Felix shouted.

The two attacks did considerable damage to the beast, but I knew the battle wasn't over yet. It let out a piercing screech and it sent a tidal wave crashing into us. But, thanks to Shade's watery shield, the damage dealt to us was minimal. "Now, Jenna!" I shouted.

Jenna unleashed an incredibly powerful flame attack that completely engulfed the Aqua Hydra! The creature let an ear-splitting shriek and exploded. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of that damn monster. "Let's go..." I said, after a long silence.

"Thank Sol for that..." I heard Kraden murmur.

We headed down into the lowest level. I saw the pedestal. I channeled some of my Psynergy into the orb, and placed it on the pedestal. Another bright white light shined and the ship started moving. All five of us rushed up to the deck as quickly as our legs could carry us. "Quick! Take the tiller, Felix!" I shouted, once we reached the deck.

Felix nodded and rushed over to the tiller as quickly as he could and grabbed it. The ship came to a very abrupt halt, causing all of us to fall over. "Reminds me of that damn tidal wave..." Jenna said mumbled angrily.

"If you hope to reach Lemuria, Felix, you have to learn some things." I said, getting up and brushing myself off.

"Like what?" he asked.

"Like handling a ship, for instance." I said. "I think we should sail around the Eastern Sea for a while until you get the hang of it."

"Kraden, don't you think we should be heading straight for Lemuria?" Sheba asked.

"I think it's better that we learn how to sail first." Kraden said.

"I agree, Kraden." I said. "The sooner you guys learn, the better."

"I want to go to Tolbi!" Jenna said excitedly. "Vale too! Can we go to Vale?"

"What's Vale?" I asked.

"It's Jenna and Felix's hometown." Kraden said.

"Oh? Well, then, let's go to Vale!" I said enthusiastically. "I would feel honored to see your hometown, Jenna!"

Jenna blushed a very deep red, nearly matching her hair. "I don't think that would be very wise decision at this time." Felix said, eyeing Jenna carefully.

"I agree with Felix." Kraden said.

"Can we go to Tolbi, then?" I asked.

"The people there are probably... looking for us." Kraden said.

"The incidents involving Saturos and Menardi, I presume?" I asked.

"How'd you know that?" Kraden asked.

"I merely guessed." I replied.

"Are you sure you're not part Jupiter Adept?" Sheba asked.

"No..." I said, surprised. "Why?"

"Because, you're very smart!" Sheba said matter-of-factly.

"That's just an oversimplification." I replied.

"Huh?" Jenna said.

"Never mind..." I said shaking my head.

"I have an idea!" Kraden said.

"What?" the rest of us asked.

"The sea is so vast!" he said. "Let's go where ever we please!"

"That's a superb idea!" Felix said.

"Yeah!" Jenna and Sheba said, ecstatic.

"The seas can be quite dangerous, Kraden..." I said cautiously.

"Oh, pish-posh!" Kraden said. "To the open sea, Felix!"

Thus began our adventures on the waters of the Eastern Sea.


	11. Chapter 10: Return to Kibombo

Hello again! Sorry about taking so long. I needed a well-deserved break from fanfiction. Plus, I've been hard at work writing my first non-_Golden Sun_ fanfic as well. I hope all of you have been doing well in the meantime. I'm a little surprised by the reviews I've received regarding the scene between Piers and Jenna. It made me seriously reconsider some ideas I've had in my head for several months. Go ahead and read the latest chapter. As usual, I'll be back at the chapter's end.

Chapter 10: Returning to Kibombo

"Where should we go first, Piers?" Jenna asked.

"Maybe we should return to Kibombo." I said.

"Why?" Felix asked, gripping the tiller tightly.

"Because of the deal we made with the Great Gabomba, Felix." Kraden explained.

"Oh, yeah," Sheba said. "I completely forgot about that."

"Well, can't say I blame you," I said, smiling. "Any encounter with a huge monster like the one we encountered in the hull is bound to make one forget things."

Felix stifled a laugh. Sheba gave him a dirty look. "But, I'm being quite serious about heading back to Kibombo." I said. "Whatever quest you guys are on, you might need as much Psynergy as you possibly can."

"I agree, Piers." Kraden said. "I suspect we shall need your power as well, if you don't mind."

"Of course not, Kraden." I said. "Since you guys went out your way to help me retrieve my orb, I've decided that I will aid you guys in any way I possibly can."

"Wow." Jenna said. "You could be quite the philosopher, Piers."

"Do you really think so, Jenna?" I asked.

"I'm sure of it." she said.

"Say, Piers," Felix said, concern in his voice. "There are five of us on board this ship. How are all of us gonna sleep?"

"The same thing had occurred to me too," Kraden agreed.

"Don't worry guys," I said. "There are 10 cabins in this ship. You'll be able to rest."

"Good Sol, that's a lot of cabins for a ship like this!" Kraden exclaimed.

"Well, that's how Lemurian architects design these things, Kraden." I said.

"Fascinating!" Kraden said, jumping enthusiastically. "Positively fascinating!"

"Hey, Jenna," I whispered to her.

"Yes?" Jenna whispered back.

"Er… is Kraden _always_ like this?" I asked.

"Yeah, he is." Jenna whispered. "But, don't worry. You'll get used to it."

_Is that supposed to make me feel better?_ I wondered.

"Yeah, I should think so." Sheba said matter-of-factly.

I jumped in surprise. "Good Sol, Sheba," I said indignantly. "I've told you to stop doing that!"

"You sound like Felix," Sheba retorted. "it always annoyed him when I read his mind while he slept."

"What would be the purpose of that, Sheba?" I asked.

"Just for a little fun," Sheba said innocently.

"Actually, you were just trying to find out what the hell I was dreaming about!" Felix said, flustered. "Plus, once you found out, you'd gossip about it with Jenna!"

"Ahhh, the joys of girl talk…" Jenna said, pretending to swoon with glee.

"Ahhh, the joys of having a gossipy little sister…" Felix said in response.

"Whoa!" I said, taken aback. "You and Jenna are siblings!"

"Yeah." Felix said, annoyed.

"I wondered why I saw a resemblance…" I said.

"Now you know…" Jenna said in a spooky voice.

"Knock it off, Jenna." Felix said.

"Give me a hammer, Felix." Jenna retorted.

Dead silence followed. "Piers, would you mind taking the tiller for a moment?" Felix asked calmly.

"Sure, why?" I asked, grabbing the tiller.

"Never you mind…" he said.

Felix walked towards the cabin door, calmly opened it and then shut it behind him. Next thing I know, I hear a huge, bloodcurdling scream erupt from the cabin. Afterwards, Felix reemerged from the cabin, his hair sticking up in at least 4,000 different directions. "I feel better now…" he said weakly. Then, Felix collapsed, face first, onto the deck.

"Maybe I should use the tiller until we get to Kibombo," I said, looking at Felix with concern.

"Good idea, Piers," Kraden agreed.

Jenna and Sheba picked up Felix's unconscious body and carried him into the cabin. _I hope he's okay…_ I thought.

"Oh, he'll be okay," Sheba said after they got him into the cabin. "Jenna just loves to bug him. It's a brother-and-sister thing"

I winced. "I wouldn't know." I said, gritting my teeth. I decided it was best _not_ to say anything about her reading my mind again, considering what just happened to Felix.

A few minutes later, Jenna emerged from the cabin carrying my sea charts. "That's scary, Jenna," I remarked.

"What is?" she asked, confused.

"You getting my sea charts," I explained. "I was just about to ask Kraden to fetch them."

"Well, I figured we might need 'em if we hope to return to Kibombo." Jenna said. "Plus, I wanted to save you the trouble."

"Thanks." I said with a smile.

"Don't mention it." she said, putting her hand on my arm.

Our faces moved closer. Jenna then reached up and brushed my hair away. "Piers…" she whispered.

I was too stunned to speak. Never in my long life had I been to _this_ close to a girl. Then, I noticed that Sheba was watching us with the utmost interest. "What?" I said to her, causing Jenna to move away in surprise.

"Nothing." Sheba said, adverting her eyes. "It's just…"

"Just what?" Jenna asked.

"Forget it." Sheba said, walking into the cabin.

I cleared my throat. "Do you think…?" I asked Jenna.

"I don't know." she said.

If you were wondering where Kraden was during all this, he was looking at my sea charts and being his usual, excitable self. "Incredible!" he said, almost jumping up and down. "Never have I seen a chart of such detail!"

"That's enough, Kraden!" Jenna said, shoving him away. "We need to use these in order to return to Kibombo."

"Oh, sorry, Jenna." Kraden said.

Using the sea charts, Jenna and I sailed the ship back to Kibombo. Remarkably, Felix was still unconscious when we arrived. "I'll wake him." I said. _"Douse."_

As soon as Felix felt the water on his face, he started screaming "Help! Help! I'm drowning!" then his eyes snapped open. He looked up at me, upset.

"I was just casting Douse on you so you'd wake up, Felix." I said. "We've arrived in Kibombo."

"Good, I'm glad." Felix said. "Good Sol, I've got such a headache."

"Let me help you." I said, helping Felix to stand up. _"Ply."_

"Thanks." Felix said, brushing himself off. "That definitely helped."

"Don't mention it, my friend." I said, patting him on the shoulder.

"You know, I happened to notice during our battle with that Aqua Hydra that you're a little more skilled with your Psynergy that the rest of us." Felix remarked as we were heading to the shore. "Plus, you're better with a sword than I am!"

"I used to practice my Psynergy and my swordplay a lot when I was a child in Lemuria." I explained.

"Why so young?" Felix asked.

I looked at him, confused and surprised. "I meant so young to us outsiders." he said. "You see, I didn't pick up my first sword until I was 15."

"Ah." I said. "Well, I had lost my father at that young age. It was my way of channeling my grief into a power I could use."

Felix noticed the sadness in my voice. "I'm sorry." he said. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay." I said. "Hey, I could give some pointers if you want."

"No pun intended." Felix said with a wry smile. "But seriously, my skills aren't as polished as yours, so I could use the help."

"Hey!" Jenna said. "Are you guys gonna talk all day?"

"We're coming!" Felix said to her.

"Well, then hurry up!" Jenna said. "The Great Gabomba didn't promise us that power for nothing, you know!"

"Quite right, Jenna!" Kraden said.

"Sorry, Jenna." Felix said. "Piers was offering to help me hone my skills with the sword."

"Why would he do that?" Sheba asked.

"Because Felix told me he noticed while we were fighting that Aqua Hydra on my ship, my skills surpass his." I explained.

"Wow…" Jenna said, her eyes lighting up in amazement.

"We should continue on." Kraden said. "I want to see the catacombs underneath the Great Gabomba."

"Of course you do, Kraden." Sheba said, rolling her eyes. "_Any_ scholar would be excited to see catacombs underneath any statue"

As we were walking towards Kibombo, I found myself walking next to Jenna. "Are you _really_ better with a sword than my brother?" she asked.

"Yes." I said.

"Wow…" Jenna said again.

"What?" I asked.

"Sorry, it's just that I always thought that Felix was one of the best swordsmen I've known." she said. "Other than Isaac, that is."  
"You mean your friend who's pursuing you?" I asked.

"Yeah." Jenna said. "We were childhood friends. He must think Kraden and I are hostages. Otherwise, he probably would've given up long ago."

"He must care for you." I said.

"Yeah, he likes me." Jenna said. "But, I not sure if I feel the same."

"Are sure his feelings may be more than just 'liking' you?" I asked.

"Why do you ask?" she asked.

"Well, maybe because you were someone Isaac cared for deeply, then suddenly you were taken away, and that is what's spurring him to press on." I explained.

"That makes sense." Jenna said. "But, like I said, I'm not sure I feel the same."

"Hey, you two!" Sheba said suddenly. "We're almost there! Hurry it up!"

"We'll be right there, Sheba!" I said. "We'd better catch up to them, Jenna."

"Yeah." she said.

Then Jenna did something I didn't expect: she gave me a kiss on the cheek. "You're so sweet, Piers." she said, giggling. Then, she ran up to join the others.

I just stood there, stunned. Then, I put my hand to where Jenna had kissed my cheek. _Good Sol,_ I thought. _My first kiss from someone other than my mother…_

"Hey, Piers!" Felix called. "Are you gonna just stand there daydreaming? Get a move on!"

I was brought back to Weyard with a sudden bump. "Sorry, Felix," I said, running to him. "It's just that…"

"'It's just that…' what?" Felix asked.

What was I going to say? "Your sister gave me my first kiss, and I think I've fallen in love with her as a result." Oh, gee, like _that_ would work.

"I've just that I've got a lot on my mind right now." I said, which was true.

"Your mother back in Lemuria, for instance?" Felix asked.

"How did…?" I said, surprised.

"Jenna told me the other night when we were on our way to Madra." Felix explained. "I understand how you feel. The only difference is that _your_ mother isn't being held against her will."

_Actually she is: by her weak heart._ I thought bitterly. I decided not to say anything. "Did I say something to offend you, Piers?" Felix asked, noticing my silence. "If I did, I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking."

"It's all right, Felix." I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "I'm okay, it's just a lot to deal with."

The five of us didn't speak again until we arrived at the Kibombo inn. "Let's rest up before we head into the catacombs." Felix had said. "There's no telling what we'll encounter."

"Good idea, Felix," I said listlessly.

"Hey." Jenna said with concern. "You okay, Piers? You don't sound too excited."

"Oh, leave him alone, Jenna." Sheba said. "Piers must be tired. Aren't you?"

"Yeah…" I said, completely drained of energy. "I am…"

We headed to our rooms. I took off my shirt, and was about to just collapse onto the bed, when there was a knock at the door. "Who's there?" I asked, drawing my sword. You could never be too careful.

"It's me, Jenna." Jenna said from behind the door.

"One moment." I said.

I hastily sheathed my sword, put my shirt back on, and quickly opened the door. "Hey." I said.

"Hey." Jenna said back.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"No." Jenna said. "I just wanted say 'Good night'."

"Oh." I said. "Well, good night."

"Good night." Jenna said. Then, she headed to her room.

"I've fallen for you, Jenna…" I found myself whispering as I watched her walk off. Then I shut the door.

I pulled off my shirt again and flopped onto the bed. I smiled in spite of myself. _This may be not such a bad journey after all…_ I thought as I closed my eyes. It seemed like I had just got to sleep when there was a loud knocking at the door. "Hey, Piers," Felix's voice said from behind the door. "you awake?"

My eyes snapped open. "Yeah." I said, slightly groggy. "Just a minute, Felix."

I quickly put my shirt on and opened the door. "Piers, you look terrible." Felix remarked. "Did you even sleep last night?"

"Yeah." I said, still tired.

"C'mon, I'll make you some coffee." Felix said. "It'll wake you up."

"Right, okay." I said, not really listening.

We headed to where we were a few days ago when I had first met Felix and the others. Jenna, Sheba, and Kraden were already there. "Good morning, Piers!" Jenna and Sheba said cheerfully.

"Good morning, Jenna, Sheba." I said, with a big yawn.

"Did you sleep well, Piers?" Kraden asked.

"Fairly well, Kraden." I said.

Breakfast went by without much conversation. Unless you count Jenna and Sheba gossiping to each other, but I guess only I would count that. After breakfas we packed up and headed for the Great Gabomba. We headed straight to the room where the Great Gabomba first spoke to us. There was a staircase leading down. "Let's go." Felix said.

We headed down. We came into a cavern filled with strange patches of grass. "Gee, this is going to easy." Felix said dryly.

Sorry, but I had to end it here. It's been too long since I've worked on this fic. A few more days, and I'll celebrate the 1-year anniversary of putting this up. Yay! And now, ladies and germs, its time for everybody's favorite section: _Reviewer Replies!_

_LovingKitten: _As promised, you're first on the list of replies. Yeah, that chapter was exactly how I had it in my head, if you can believe that. By the way, if you think there's PiersJenna in the last chapter, that's nothing compared to what happened in this chapter!

_Dinny: _Howdy, new reviewer! I'm glad you like the story! Keep it up with your stories, too!

_Sakura Irving:_ No I got the idea from just playing Tales of Symphonia for the umpteenth time. I was gonna change it a little, but since there are all these people liking it the way it is, I thought, "It ain't broke, don't fix it!" and I left it. By the way, don't worry 'bout that "anti-gone" guy. See below…

_the anti-gone:_ Congratulations! You have won the opportunity to go into space for being the first person to flame me! Why? Because they're looking for rats to experiment on…

_WildfireDreams: _Sorry, I was just expecting a longer review, that's all.

_TheAmazingTechnocolorRingWraith: _I figured 'cause of the "Ring Wraith" part of your pen name. Duh! Thanks for the review…

_waterdragon:_ Hello, new reviewer! PiersJenna, hmmm? Eh, it could be… ;-)

_Master of Reality:_ Hello, Master. Glad to see another review from you. If didn't spot the Tales of Symphonia reference, look at what Jenna said before she summoned Meteor. There you shall find the answer you seek…

_Spacejoe:_ Arrrgh! I've finally updated for ya, matey! It's also an author's nightmare, arr! Avast! I'd better get to work on chappie number 11, arr!

_Lavender Raine:_ Like I said to Sakura Irving, don't worry 'bout " the anti-gone". If he should flame me again, I'll zing him again just like I did above.

_Kd7sov:_ Glad to see you again! I'm sorry you felt that way about the Jupiter Djinni scene. I'll try not to do it again!


	12. Chapter 11: The Gabomba's Cavern

Chapter 11: The Gabomba's Cavern & Jenna's Tale

Ignoring Felix's comment, Sheba started examining the strange patches of grass carefully. "Hmmm…" she muttered.

"What is it, Sheba?" Kraden asked.

"Felix, do you still have that strange chip the mayor of Madra gave you?" Sheba asked.

"Yeah." Felix said taking it out of his pocket. "Why?"

"Quickly, give it here!" Sheba snapped.

Although he was taken aback by Sheba's tone, Felix handed it to her. _"Cyclone!"_ Sheba said suddenly.

Wind abruptly started to blow all around us. The patches of grass blew away to reveal a strange looking hole, which the five of us were forced through, due to the wind's power. All of us were sprawled out on the ground. "I knew it!" Sheba said, standing up triumphantly. "This is the legendary Cyclone Chip!"

"Cyclone Chip?" I said, getting up and brushing myself off.

"Yes." Sheba said. "I first heard about it while I was living in Lalivero. But, I never thought _I'd_ be the one to wield it."

"But, what exactly _is_ it?" Jenna asked.

"It's one of the many legendary objects that bestows Psynergy to any Adept that wields it." Sheba said.

"Hmmm." Jenna said, taking a peculiar-looking cube out of her pocket. "It's like this Pound Cube we found at Dehkan Plateau."

"Yeah." Felix said, taking a strange-looking bit out of his pocket. "And the Tremor Bit we found in the ruins underneath Madra."

"Plus the Lash Pebble we received at the Kandorean Temple." Kraden added.

"We mustn't forget the Scoop Gem we found in the Yampi Desert." Felix added.

"So, in other words, all these objects you found during your travels bestow certain kinds of Psynergy upon Adepts who wield it?" I asked.

"Correct." Kraden said. "They are believe by many to relics from the Lost Age of man."

"Strange," Jenna said. "I don't recall _that_ being mentioned in our lessons at all, Kraden."

"Of course you don't, Jenna." Kraden said stiffly. "Both you and Isaac were busy passing notes to one another."

"Are you sure it wasn't the fact that Garet's snoring was drowning you out?" Jenna asked, turning red.

"Who's Garet?" I asked.

"He's another friend of ours." Jenna explained.

"Isn't he the one you told me that he was a little rash?" I asked.

"Yeah." Jenna said, a little surprised. "How did you know?"

"I guessed." I replied. "I don't mean to sound arrogant, but we Lemurians are known for our superb powers of deduction."

"That damn near puts the cleverness of Jupiter Adepts to shame." Sheba said, amazed.

"I guess you could put it that way." I said.

"How did hear rumors of the Cyclone Chip in Lalivero, Sheba?" Kraden asked.

"I merely heard some travelers at the inn discussing what they called 'magical objects' when I was young." Sheba explained. "I'm certain this was one of several they mentioned."

As we proceeded through the cavern. Sheba would occasionally use her new Psynergy spell to find objects hidden in the grass. As we neared the end of our trek, we were stopped by the voice of the Great Gabomba. **_"To prove that you are worthy of this power, blow away the patch of grass that lies before you…"_** the voice said.

"That sounds simple enough." Sheba said confidently. _"Cyclone!"_

The grass blew away, and a huge and ugly-looking plant burst out of the earth and attacked us! "Okay, this complicates things a little…" Sheba said, staring at the plant.

"Oh, my goodness!" Kraden said excitedly. "It's one of the legendary Mad Plants! I thought they all went extinct back in the Lost Age!"

"Kraden, this is no time for a lecture!" I said, drawing my sword. "We've got to defeat this thing!"

"That's right, Piers!" Felix said, drawing his sword. "Let's do this!"

Jenna and Sheba produced their staves seemingly out of thin air. At the same time, the Mad Plant lashed out with its tentacle-like vines. To my horror, the vines started wrapping themselves around Kraden. He managed to scream "Help!" before the vines started choking the life out of him.

I rushed to his aid and started hacking at the vines with my sword. Unfortunately, it didn't do any good, It seemed like every time I sliced off a vine, two more would appear to take its place. Suddenly, I had an idea. "Jenna!" I shouted.

"What, Piers?" Jenna said, trying to fend off a couple vines with her staff.

"Try to use your Psynergy on the vines that are trying to kill Kraden." I said.

"Gotcha." Jenna said. _"Flare Wall!"_

The powerful Fire Psynergy singed the vines around Kraden, and amazingly, didn't singe him at all. I quickly sliced the vines off of him. "Run as fast you can to get out of here!" I ordered.

Kraden didn't move. I assumed he was paralyzed with fear. "Piers is right, Kraden." Felix said. _"Move!"_

The Psynergy shot forth and shoved Kraden behind a rock, keeping him safely out of harm's way. "The creature must be weak against fiery attacks, Jenna." Felix said. "Quickly, use the strongest attack you have on it!"

Jenna nodded. _"Serpent Fume!"_ she shouted. A huge pillar of flames shot up from Jenna into the air, and then came crashing down onto the Mad Plant.

I could've sworn I had heard a loud shriek coming from the plant, but I convinced myself it just was my imagination. Although badly burned and weakened by Jenna's powerful attack, the Mad Plant didn't look like it was even close to dying. Reacting quickly, Sheba stepped up and shouted _"Tornado!"_

Two enormous tornadoes appeared and literally ripped the Mad Plant to shreds. A few moments later, Kraden came out from behind the rock Felix shoved him behind, quivering and shaking. "I-is it over?" he asked.

"Yeah." Felix said.

"Good." Kraden said.

He quickly ran up to a piece of what was the Mad Plant. Picking it up, he started to examine it. Jenna walked up to him and said, "No, Kraden."

"I just want a sample for my research." Kraden said.

"No." Jenna said. "Knowing you, there's no telling what might happen if we let you have a sample of that thing."

"Oh come on, please." Kraden pleaded.

"No." Jenna said firmly.

It took an hour of Kraden's nagging until Jenna finally gave in. Kraden pocketed his "sample" of the Mad Plant, and everyone was happy. Jenna then proceeded to burn the rest of the Mad Plant to ashes because she said she "didn't want to take any chances".

We headed into the next cave, where we found another Great Gabomba statue. The room darkened and once again we heard the Great Gabomba's voice. **_"By reaching this place, you have proven your worth."_** it said.

At these words, a strange, black book appeared in the statue's hands. **_"However,"_** the statue said. **_"I must make some conditions to our agreement."_**

"Conditions?" Kraden asked. "What kind of conditions?"

**_"You… must not mention this to Akafubu."_** the statue said.

"Why?" Felix asked.

**_"Because he will lose heart if he finds out what you have done."_** the statue explained. **_"And the people of Kibombo will have need of this ill-prepared ruler. If he does indeed manage to reach this place, I shall pass on this power to him, as I have done to you. Until then, I sleep. Fare thee well, successors to the witch doctor."_**

When the room brightened back up again, I noticed that Kraden was eyeing the book with very intense interest. "Good Sol…" Kraden said, astonished.

"What's the matter, Kraden?" Felix asked.

"Th-that book…" Kraden said.

"What about it?" I asked.

"It's the legendary Tomegathericon." Kraden said.

I looked at Felix. He was just as confused as I was. The same went for Jenna and Sheba. "The legendary what?" we said at the same time.

"The Tomegathericon is a legendary book of dark Psynergy used by Adepts of the Lost Age." Kraden explained.

"Wow." Jenna said, rolling her eyes. "Yet _another_ artifact from the Lost Age."

"This is serious, Jenna." Kraden said. "There's no telling what kind of powers it possesses, so we have to extra careful when handling it."

"Tell you what, Kraden," Sheba said. "Since you probably want to examine it, and also the fact you're the only non-Adept in our group, why don't _you_ carry it?"

"Good idea." Kraden said, taking the book from the statue's hands.

"We should get going." I said. "There's no telling how long we've been down here."

"There's only one problem, Piers." Sheba said. "How are we going to get out?"

"Yeah." Jenna agreed. "This place is like a maze."

"Don't worry, you two." Felix reassured them. "I'll use my Psynergy. But to do that, everyone must grab on to me."

Everyone grabbed onto Felix's clothes. Kraden took the longest because he was carrying the Tomegathericon. "Everybody ready?" Felix said.

"Ready." chorused Jenna and Sheba.

"I'm set, Felix." I said.

"Good to go, Felix." Kraden said, gripping the book tightly.

Felix nodded and muttered _"Retreat."_

Suddenly, I saw a bright white light and my whole body was filled with a strange tingling sensation. The sensation left as quickly as it came, and when the bright light went away, I found we were standing at the entrance to the Great Gabomba. "Wow." I said, rubbing my eyes because of all the bright light. "That was some Psynergy, Felix."

"Thanks." Felix said. "My dad taught it to me in case of an emergency."

"Like, what happened three years ago?" Jenna asked angrily. "You could've used your Psynergy then."

"My whole body was cold, wet and numb." Felix said defensively. "Do you think you'd be able to concentrate to use your Psynergy if you were in that kind of state?"

"Good point." Jenna said.

"Plus, I get the feeling I can only use this Psynergy in dungeons like that one." Felix said.

Just by listening to them, I ended up deeply confused by what Jenna and Felix's words. "Excuse me," I said. "But what in the world are you two talking about?"

"I'll explain later." Jenna muttered.

We headed back to the Kibombo inn to rest. That night, I lay on my bed, thinking about my mother again. But, now I had two things to worry about. One was the most obvious: her health. But the second manifested itself after Jenna kissed me, which was what my mother's reaction was going to be if she found out I had fallen in love with a non-Lemurian. Suddenly, someone knocking at the door shook me out of my deep thoughts. "Are you awake, Piers?" Jenna's voice said.

"You can come in, Jenna." I said.

She opened the door, came in and sat down in a chair across from my bed. "Are you okay?" Jenna said.

"Yes and no." I said flatly.

"What do you mean?" Jenna asked.

"Yes, because you've shown such kindness to me since we first met." I explained. "And no, because I'm still concerned about my mother."

"Hehe, thanks." Jenna said, blushing.

"Jenna, I…" I said.

"What?" she asked.

"Even though we barely know each other, I, uh…" I said.

"You, what?" Jenna asked.

"I, er… really like you." I said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"I really like you, too, Piers." Jenna said.

"Really?" I said, hardly daring to believe it.

"Yeah." Jenna said, blushing again.

Suddenly, I just couldn't help myself: I embraced her and gave her a kiss on the lips. The kiss seemed to go on forever, and I felt like all the nerve endings in my body were on fire. When our lips parted, I suddenly felt overcome with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry." I said to her. "I-I just couldn't help it. I-"

Jenna shushed me by putting her fingers on my lips. "It's all right, Piers." she whispered.

"I don't mean to interrupt a good moment we're having here, but what happened three years ago?" I said.

Jenna took in a deep breath and sat back down in the chair. I did the same, only with the bed. "It all began in our village, Vale, which sits at the base of Mt. Aleph." Jenna said. "You _do_ know about Mt. Aleph, right?"

"Of course." I said. "The ruler of Lemuria, King Hydros, taught me about it. As well as Alchemy and the four elements."

"Good, that saves me time to explain." Jenna said, sighing. "Anyway, Vale was a quaint little village. It had all the makings of a place where you could live without a care in the world. That is until that fateful night three years ago."

"What happened?" I asked.

"A very powerful thunderstorm struck our village." Jenna explained. "It was a very unusual thunderstorm as well."

"How unusual?" I asked.

"It was a storm that struck only Mt. Aleph." Jenna said.

"What happened with Felix?" I asked.

"He got swept into the river." Jenna said. "He hanging on to a rock with all his strength. Isaac, Garet, and myself went looking for someone to help him at our parents' insistence,"

"Your parents couldn't do anything?" I asked.

"They had used up all their Psynergy, and we didn't know any, so the situation was really complicated. " Jenna explained. "We managed to find someone in the village plaza, but when we got back, it already too late."

"What happened?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"There was this huge boulder from Mt. Aleph the village elders tried to hold back to prevent it from destroying Vale." Jenna said. "Unfortunately, the boulder proved too much for them to handle. It came crashing down, and…"

Jenna's lips started to quiver. "It's all right, Jenna." I said, taking her hands in mine. "I'm here."

A couple of tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry." Jenna said. "It's still a little painful sometimes."

"I understand." I said, wiping the tears off her face.

"Thank you, Piers." Jenna said, sniffling. "Anyway, The boulder came crashing down into the river, sweeping away my parents, Felix, and Kyle, Isaac's father. For the next three years, I thought they were dead."

"Until you reunited with Felix." I said.

"Yeah." Jenna said. "That was months ago. He was with Saturos and Menardi at the time."

"Why was he with them?" I asked.

"Well, it turned out that our parents, Kyle, and Felix all survived the accident." Jenna said. "Felix told me the village where Saturos and Menardi are from told him to light the elemental lighthouses in exchange for their freedom. Saturos and Menardi were assigned to keep an eye on him."

"That explains a lot." I said. "You and Kraden were hostages, right?"

"At first." Jenna said. "But, we grew to be fairly good travel companions."

"Is there more?" I asked.

"I'm sure there is, but, I that Felix can explain it better." Jenna said. "It's getting late."

"Yeah." I said.

"Good night, Piers." Jenna said.

"Good night, Jenna." I said.

As I shut the door behind her, I mulled over everything Jenna had told me. It was a lot to take in, but I decided not to let it bother me as I laid down to sleep. I woke up early the next morning and went outside to view the sunrise. Surprisingly, Jenna was there, too. As I came up behind her, she swung around with staff in hand ready to hit me. I grabbed it just before it smashed into my face. "Piers…" Jenna said, putting her staff away. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right." I said. "I have pretty sharp reflexes."

"I could see that." Jenna said.

"Come on," I said. "Everyone else is probably up."

And they were. Felix was paying the innkeeper, Sheba was yawning and stretching, and Kraden was trying hard to conceal the Tomegathericon in his cloak. After breakfast, we headed back to my ship and shoved off.


	13. Chapter 12: Washrooms & A Trident Piece

Hello everyone! I apologize for taking so long. I was at college, and I'm now back home, mourning the death of my dear grandmother, who passed away this past Monday. I appreciate in advance all your sympathy. Anyway, I'm glad you could find your way back. I'm also very pleased with all the feedback I've received about the previous chapter. However, I did not appreciate people disliking my decision to make Piers and Jenna a couple simply because they don't like Jenna. You know who you are. Also, take note of the change in my pen name. I've changed it because Namco's _Tales_ series has joined the ranks of my favorite RPGs in addition to both _Golden Sun_ titles. Getting _Tales of Phantasia _for my GBA was also a factor. This was an interesting update. Not only did I add this new chapter, but I also made some changes to my previous chapters as well. Be back at the end!

Chapter 12: Washrooms and A Piece of the Trident

"Where do you think we should head next, Piers?" Felix asked.

I consulted my sea charts. "Hmm… I've heard rumors about this place." I said, placing my finger on the chart.

Kraden took a good look at the place under my finger. "We've already been there, Piers," he said with resignation.

"Been where, Kraden?' Jenna asked.

"Remember the Shrine of the Sea God, Jenna?" Kraden asked.

"Yeah, there wasn't that much there to explore." Jenna said. "Why do you want to go there, Piers?"

"I've heard rumors there's a piece of a legendary weapon hidden in that shrine." I said. "I want to see if I can find it."

"A legendary weapon?" Sheba asked.

"What kind of weapon is it exactly?" Felix asked.

"I know what you're talking about, Piers!" Kraden exclaimed. "The legendary Trident of Ankohl!"

"The what?" Felix, Jenna and Sheba asked.

I opened my mouth to explain, but Kraden beat me to it. "It was a weapon the ancient Ankohl tribe entrusted to the Lemurians during the Lost Age." he said. "It had been passed down through the centuries, but eventually, it was broken into three pieces during an ancient war, which were eventually scattered across the Eastern Sea. Right, Piers?"

"Yes, that's correct." I said, impressed at Kraden's wide breadth of knowledge. "King Hydros, the ruler of Lemuria, asked me to search for it because he said it would make my journeys on the Eastern Sea little easier."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Felix asked, grabbing the tiller excitedly. "Let's get going!"

"Watch it, Felix!" I said, a little firmer than I had intended. "You've got to handle the tiller delicately. If you don't, the ship might veer off course."

"Well then, can you show us how to sail, Piers?" Sheba asked.

"Certainly, Sheba." I said, taking the tiller from Felix.

I demonstrated to each of them all how to handle the ship, and then I let them have a turn at the tiller, as a test of what they had learned. Felix was the one who learned the fastest; he handled the tiller as if he were a natural at skimming the waves. Jenna did just as well as Felix, but I felt there was a slight chance of her accidentally igniting the wheel so, she was better off not sailing it.

Sheba started struggling with the wheel the moment she put her hands on it. Suffice it to say, she just couldn't handle it. I ultimately decided she'd be better off being the navigator. Kraden was so excited to be helming the ship that we nearly collided with a bunch of rocks had it not been for the sharp turn he made at the last second. After that, I ultimately decided that Felix and I would be the primary ones sailing the ship.

Felix took the tiller and with Sheba navigating, we set off for the Shrine. However, before we shoved off, I showed each of them the cabins where they would be sleeping in, and then we truly set off. Kraden went to his cabin, examining his sample of the Mad Plant, the Tomegathericon, and the pair of golden boots we "received" from those thieves. Jenna headed to her cabin to rest, while I headed to my cabin to do the same.

I laid down in my bed and closed my eyes. Not long afterwards, visions of Jenna started dancing in my head. I had not forgotten that sensation when we kissed that night. I wanted to feel it again, now more than ever. But, one nagging thought bothered me: what would Felix do if he found out? He seemed like the type of person who was nearly overprotective of his sister.

Suddenly, my eyes snapped open to the sound of knocking on my door. "Piers?" Jenna's voice said behind the door.

I quickly got up and opened the door. "Yes, Jenna?" I asked.

"I have a question." Jenna asked.

"Fire away." I said, not realizing the pun.

"Actually, it's better if I show you." Jenna said, smiling.

She led to her cabin and showed me the washroom in her cabin. "What's this?" Jenna asked, pointing to the washroom.

"Oh, this?" I said. "It's called a washroom."

"You clean up in here?" Jenna asked.

"Yeah." I said. "I'll point out the things in here for you, if you'd like."

"Please do." Jenna said.

"Well, first this is called a shower." I said, pointing to it. "You take off your clothes, get in, turn this faucet here and water comes out from the spout to wash your body."

"Take off your clothes!" Jenna said incredulously.

"Er, yeah." I said, blushing slightly. "Otherwise your clothes would get wet. Plus, depending on which direction the faucet is, the water can be either hot or cold."

"Um, and this?" Jenna said, pointing to another object.

"That's a sink." I said. "You wash your hands in it, which is highly recommended before and after meals in Lemuria."

"Ah." Jenna said. "And this thing?"

"It's called a 'toothbrush'." I said. "It's a special instrument used to keep your teeth healthy and your breath fresh."

"And that?" Jenna asked, pointing to the toilet.

"That's the toilet." I said. "You deposit your, ahem, waste in here, flip the handle, and the water pressure flushes it down into an obscure part of the ship."

"How often do you have to clean that part of the ship out?" Jenna asked.

"On average, every six months or so." I said.

"Ewww…" Jenna said, revulsion evident in her tone and on her face.

"Yeah, it grosses me out, too." I agreed. "I try not to think about it though."

"Well, thanks Piers." Jenna said, a smile back on her face. "If you don't mind, I'm going to try out that shower."

"Go ahead." I said. "If you need anything else, I'll be in my cabin."

"Right. See you later." Jenna said, kissing me on the cheek.

"See you." I said, kissing her in return.

As I exited Jenna's cabin, I ran into Kraden. "Oh, there you are, Piers!" he said excitedly. "I found the most fascinating room in my cabin! Come quick!"

_Sounds like Kraden has found his washroom._ I thought with a sigh.. _I may as well show him, just as I showed Jenna._ "Lead the way, Kraden." I said aloud.

My hunch was right: Kraden had discovered the washroom in his cabin. I proceeded to explain it to him like I did to Jenna minutes earlier. "See you later, Kraden." I said, exiting the cabin.

"Thanks, Piers!" Kraden said, excited at the prospect of having yet another thing to study.

Suddenly, I ran into Sheba and Felix. "Hey, I thought you guys were handling the ship." I said.

"We dropped anchor." Sheba explained. "Plus, it's lunchtime."

"Already?" I asked.

"Yeah." Felix said. "But first, would you mind explaining the strange room in our cabins?"

I sighed deeply. "Follow me." I said. "I just finished explaining it Kraden…"

After yet another couple of washroom explanations, I led Felix and the others to the kitchen. I prepared a few sandwiches, and we sat down to eat. I was surprised that the meal passed in total silence. I glanced Jenna as we ate. She didn't look back. After lunch, Sheba and Felix headed back to the deck, while Kraden, Jenna and I headed back to our respective cabins.

I felt totally exhausted. _I guess my fatigue has finally caught up with me._ I thought as I opened the door to my cabin. I walked in, shut the door, literally collapsed onto the bed and fell into a troubled sleep. Poseidon had appeared in my mind's eye. Not only was I fighting him, but also Felix and the others. It was a very fierce battle. Felix was the first to fall, leaving Jenna, Sheba, and myself.

After a while, Sheba succumbed to defeat, leaving Jenna and I to deal with that monstrosity. Jenna flung her fiercest fire Psynergy at it, until she too was defeated. I fought with my sword and Water Psynergy as best as I could, even though I knew it was a futile effort. Poseidon steadied his trident, poised and ready to finish me off. Suddenly, I heard Jenna's voice in my head. She was begging me to wake up.

My eyes snapped to find Jenna standing over me, concern showing on her face. I jumped back in surprise. "It's okay, Piers." Jenna said, trying to calm me down "It's just me. It's okay. Calm down."

After I took a moment to calm down, Jenna sat down at the foot of my bed. "Are you all right, Piers?" she asked, continuing to look concerned.

"I just had a bad dream, Jenna." I sad. "Nothing too serious."

"Are you sure?" Jenna asked. "When I cane in, you were violently tossing and tuning on your bed."

"Alright, you got me." I said, sighing deeply. ."Do you know about Poseidon, the King of the Sea?"

"Kraden told us about him during one of our many Alchemy lessons back in Vale." Jenna said. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, in recent years, he has become a horrible monster." I explained. "His reawakening caused the tidal wave which washed me onto the East Indra Shore in the first place."

"We were washed onto Indra by the tidal wave as well!" Jenna said, surprised. "Only, we were washed onto the northern coast. We thought the earthquake from lighting Venus Lighthouse's beacon had caused the tidal wave. Did your nightmare involve Poseidon?"

"Yes," I said with a nod. "I had dreamt that all of us were fighting him, and one by one, each of us succumbed to defeat."

"That's horrible!" Jenna exclaimed.

"Tell me about it." I said grimly. "Poseidon was preparing to finish me off when I woke up."

"Well, at least it wasn't real, Piers." Jenna said. "That's something to be thankful for, isn't it?'

"Yeah, I guess you're right about that, Jenna." I said with a smile. "If you don't mind my asking, why were coming to see me?"

"Oh, Felix wanted me to come get you because we've arrived at the shore near the Shrine of the Sea God." Jenna explained.

"All right, let's go." I said, getting up and grabbing my sword.

Both Jenna and I quickly headed to the deck to find Felix, Sheba, and Kraden waiting for us. "I'm sorry," I said. "it took Jenna a while to wake me up. I'm a really deep sleeper."

"Don't worry about it," Felix said, patting me on the shoulder. "Any rest in better than no rest at all."

"Quite right, Felix ." Kraden agreed. "Shall we?"

I activated the guard system on the boat so no one would steal it, and then I lead the way to Daila, a town near the Shrine. "Piers, are you sure you're going to the right plaice?" Sheba asked.

"I'm certain, Sheba." I said, firmly than I had intended. "Why?"

"This is a town." Sheba replied matter-of-factly. "You said you wanted to go to the Shrine."

"I know, but I neglected to mention, that there was a jewel hidden in this town that allows one to access the deepest section of the Shrine."

"You mean, the Sea God's Tear?" Kraden asked.

"That's correct, Kraden," I said. "I must confess, I don't know where we should start looking, considering it's such a small town."

"If it were me, I'd look in the town's Sanctum." Felix said. "They usually have important stuff in there."

"Excellent idea, Felix!" Kraden said excitedly.

We quickly headed to Sanctum. But, not too quickly, as we did not want to raise any unnecessary suspicions. The Great Healer in the Sanctum greeted us with open arms, saying, "Welcome, travelers! What aid do you seek from me today?"

"We are not looking for aid, sir." I said.

"How unusual." the Healer said. "What are you looking for?"

"We are looking a jewel, called the Sea God's Tear" I said.

"The Sea God's Tear?" the Healer asked, surprised. "Why do you want it?"

"I wish to reforge the Trident of Ankohl." I said. "I've heard that one of the pieces sleeps within the Shrine of the Sea God. But, one needs the Tear enter the innermost part of the Shrine to get it."

There was a long silence before either of us spoke again. I could tell that the Great Healer was thinking long and hard about all I had said. "Very well." the Healer said, breaking the silence. "It's over there, on the altar."

I approached the altar, and pocketed the jewel. "Thank you, sir." I said to the Healer.

"You're welcome, young man." the Healer said. "I wish all of you a safe journey. Please, keep the Tear safe!"

"I will," I said, patting my pocket. "Thanks again!"

"Well, that was simple." Jenna remarked once we had left the Sanctum.

"Yes, but the hard part will be getting to the innermost part of the Shrine." I said.

Felix led us through the Shrine, up to the point where -according to Kraden- they had reached last time. "Are you sure we can go further, Piers?" Felix asked. "The only way I can see that could lead us further is that opening." -he pointed an opening on a small cliff- "But, I don't know how we could reach it."

It was then that I noticed little puddles of water on the ground near the cliff. "Don't worry, Felix," I said confidently. "I'll attend to it"

Despite everyone's bewilderment, I crouched down near the puddles, put my hands over them, and muttered _"Frost."_

Just like when I froze the water beneath Shin, the puddles rose up and formed pillars of ice. "Remarkable!" Kraden remarked.

Jenna and Sheba rolled their eyes. "Kraden, we saw that Psynergy when Piers was still imprisoned in Madra." Jenna said.

"Yeah, remember?" Sheba asked.

"Oh right, yes of course." Kraden said sheepishly.

I climbed the ladder and hopped across the ice pillars, reaching the cliff that Felix pointed out a few seconds ago. "Shall we?" I asked, smiling.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Sheba asked, eyeing the ice pillars.

"Don't worry, Sheba." I said. "I used my power to pack the water molecules tighter than nature can, making the pillars sturdier."

":Ah, um… okay." she said.

I could tell Sheba was a little more confused than she let on, but I chose not to say anything. Everyone crossed the ice pillars and we went through the opening. We found ourselves in a room filled with water, except for an altar in the middle of the room that looked like the one in Daila's Sanctum.

"Let's head for that altar." I said.

"It looks like we're going to have to swim across, Piers." Kraden said.

"Are you serious, Kraden?" Sheba asked. "I've never been good at swimming."

"Don't worry Sheba." Felix said. "I'll carry you."

"Thank you, Felix." Sheba said, beaming.

We waded into the water, which was surprisingly warm. Sheba climbed onto Felix's back, and we swam across. When we reached the altar, I took an head count. Someone was missing. "Where's Kraden?" I asked.

As if in reply, I heard sputtering and coughing. I saw that Kraden was still in the water, and it was evident that swimming wasn't one of his strengths. "Felix, grab that rope." I said, pointing to some rope I had seen lying on the ground seconds earlier.

Felix grabbed it and tied a knot while I dove into the water and swam out to Kraden. He had gone under the water when I reached him. I dove under and quickly grabbed him. I rose above the water with him. I swam forward a few feet and I signaled Felix to throw the rope, which he did.

Felix, Jenna and Sheba pulled us back towards the altar. Then, I pulled Kraden up onto the ground. I quickly checked his pulse and breathing. "Is Kraden okay?" Sheba asked.

"Everything appears to be fine." I said, nodding. "He'll regain consciousness in a minute or two."

"Thank the elements…" Felix muttered.

I shifted my attention to the altar. "What do we do at this altar, Piers?" Sheba asked.

"Maybe we could try putting the Sea God's Tear on he altar and seeing what happens." Jenna suggested.

"There's only one way to find out, Jenna." I said, taking the Sea God's Tear out of my pocket, and placing on the altar.

The ground shook as the water level rose up, moving the altar towards a huge opening in the ceiling. The movement woke up Kraden. "Wuzzgoinon?" he asked, quickly sitting up.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked.

"What is going on?" Kraden asked again, a little slower. "Sorry…"

"Piers placed the Sea God's Tear on that altar," Sheba said. "As a result, the water is rising up, carrying us to that opening in the ceiling."

"Oh, fascinating!" Kraden said.

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Some things never change," she muttered. "even if you _do_ come close to drowning.."

I chuckled as I helped Kraden to his feet. "Are you okay, Kraden?" I asked.

"Yes, thank you, Piers," he said. " I owe you my life."

"Don't mention it." I said. "It's the least I could do."

As we were speaking the altar continued to rise and soon passed through the opening. It soon came to a stop. "I guess this is our stop." I remarked, taking the Sea God's Tear off the altar and placing it back in my pocket.

I noticed there was nothing in the room where we had arrived, save for a ladder leading further up. "I guess we'll have to climb the ladder." Felix said.

"Yeah, I guess so," I agreed. "Come on."

I climbed up the ladder. When I reached the top, I felt the wind blowing all around me, and I saw the ocean spread out as far as I could see. Felix emerged through the small opening that I had come through, followed by Jenna, Sheba, and Kraden. "Where are we?" Kraden asked.

"We're on the roof of the Shrine." I said.

"Whoa!" Jenna exclaimed, gazing out to see. "What a gorgeous view!"

"Yeah, it is." Sheba agreed. "You can see the lights from Mercury and Venus Lighthouse quite well from up here."

I wasn't listening. An old wooden chest with light shining through the cracks in its lid had caught my attention. "Hey, guys." I said kneeling down beside the chest. "Come take a look at this."

Everyone came over and looked at it. "What's causing that light?" Jenna asked.

"It could be a trident piece." Kraden suggested.

"Let's see." I said, slowly opening the lid.

The bright light shined brightly, nearly blinding us. I reached into the chest and pulled out the right prong of a trident. The light faded away, and I heard a voice in my head. **_Well done, warrior of Lemuria._** it said. **_You have found a piece of the Trident of Ankohl. You will need all three pieces if you hope to defeat Poseidon and return to Lemuria._**

"You mean, the Trident is the key to defeating Poseidon?" I asked aloud. "How is that possible?"

**_Poseidon has a powerful force field that repels all Psynergy._** the voice explained. **_You must use the Trident to destroy this force field._**

"Where is the next piece?" I asked.

"Who are you talking to, Piers?" Jenna asked, looking around in confusion.

"Shhhhh…" Felix whispered tersely.

**_It rests in a mysterious tower somewhere in the frozen wasteland of Tundaria._** the voice said. **_However, you lack the power to obtain it. Travel to the Apojii Islands and pass the trials of Aqua Rock._**

"Understood.' I said, nodding.

**_Good luck, warrior of Lemuria._** the voice said.****Then, it disappeared, leaving me holding the right prong. Except for the whistling of the wind, there was absolute silence.

"Are you alright, Piers?" Felix asked, breaking the silence after a few minutes.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said. "I'm sorry if I seemed to act unusual. I heard a voice in my head after I grabbed the prong."

"Really?" Kraden said excitedly. "What did it say?"

"It told me the trident's the key to defeating Poseidon." I said. "It also told me the location of the next piece of the Trident."

"That's great!' Sheba said.

"There's one small problem." I said.

"What's that?" Jenna asked

"The voice told me that I lacked the power to obtain it." I said. "It told me to travel to the Apojii Islands and pass the trials of Aqua Rock first."

"Well, let's going!" Kraden said.

"Why don't we rest in Daila's inn first?" I suggested.

"Good idea, Piers." Felix said. "I would feel better after a little rest."

"Me too." Jenna agreed.

"Okay, let me use my Retreat Psynergy." Felix said. "Everyone hang on."

We all grabbed onto Felix as he muttered _"Retreat."_

That familiar tingling sensation passed over my body again. Then, we reappeared at the Shrine's entrance. We then headed outside, and towards Daila's inn to rest up for our next adventure.

Sorry to pull a J.K. Rowling ending to this chapter, but I felt whatever I was going to write next would work a little better starting the next chapter. If any of you have read the _Harry Potter_ novels, you should have a rough idea of what I'm talking about. I hope you guys like my idea of the washrooms on the Lemurian ship. I must admit, I was a little hesitant about pursuing it. But, a dear friend of mine persuaded me to move forward with it. Well, I've gotta get started on the next chapter. Read and review!


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